Friday preview: US non-farm payrolls, IAG in the spotlight

Financial markets' attention at the end of the week will be on the US non-farm payrolls report for April.

Consensus is for another sizeable monthly increase in hiring to the tune of 390,000 with the rate of unemployment steady at 3.6%.

The annual rate of growth in average hourly earnings meanwhile is seen dipping by one tenth of a percentage point to 5.5%.

Across the Channel, industrial production data covering the month of March are due out in Germany and Spain.

On home shores, at 0930 GMT, S&P Global will release its Purchasing Managers' Index for the UK's construction sector in April.

In the corporate space, IAG will report on its performance during the first quarter of 2000.

Investors will be keen to see if the carrier sticks to previous guidance for a recovery in the business, including a move back into the black on an operating basis during the second quarter.

However, higher fuel prices could delay that scenario, said Michael Hewson, chief market analyst at CMC Markets UK.

Indeed, Hewson noted that there was some speculation that it might need to cap in hand to shareholders again.

Then there was the pressure from France and Germany regarding IAG's ownership structure since Brexit.

"This could force it to consider the sale of its British Airways brand to address these concerns, which would be no bad thing given that under IAG’s ownership the brand has become tired and tatty."

Friday 06 May

INTERIMS

Numis Corporation

INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Begbies Traynor Group, Edge Performance VCT 'H' Shares, Ferguson, Tracsis

QUARTERLY PAYMENT DATE

BMO UK High Income Trust , BMO UK High Income Trust B Shares, TwentyFour Select Monthly Income Fund Limited

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Consumer Credit (US) (20:00)

Industrial Production (07:00)

Non-Farm Payrolls (US) (13:30)

Unemployment Rate (US) (13:30)

FINALS

CMO Group

SPECIAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Gemfields Group Limited, Somero Enterprises Inc. (DI)

AGMS

BlackRock World Mining Trust, InterContinental Hotels Group, Man Group, Rightmove, Spirent Communications

TRADING ANNOUNCEMENTS

Beazley, Ted Baker

UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Halifax House Price Index (07:00)

FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Glanbia (CDI), International Personal Finance, Kerry Group 'A' Shares (CDI), Kingspan Group (CDI), Pearson, Smurfit Kappa Group (CDI), Somero Enterprises Inc. (DI), Synectics