Friday preview: US non-farm payrolls, LSE Group in focus

Financial markets' focus at the end of the week will be squarely on the US non-farm payrolls report for August.

Hiring is expected to have picked up slightly from a pace of 850,000 in June to 870,000 for July.

The rate of unemployment is also seen retreating month-on-month, by two tenths of a percentage point to 5.7%.

However, the low level of workforce participation means that the official statistics are drawing an overly strong picture of the underlying situation.

On home shores meanwhile, mortgage lander Halifax will publish its house price index for July.

Finally, across the Channel, readings on industrial production in Germany, France and Spain in June are all scheduled for release.

For LSE Group's first half numbers meanwhile, UBS believes investors' focus will be on the stock exchange operator's costs and second quarter revenue growth rate.

In March, LSE guided higher on costs and financial markets are now hoping for an update and perhaps some guidance regarding the outlook for the same in 2022.

On LSE's top-line over the three months to June, Werner was anticipating year-on-year revenue growth at constant foreign exchange rates of 5.3%.

But a currency hit of 770 basis points was expected to result in a 2.8% drop in sales on a reported basis.

"The shares remain a show-me story as we think it will take some time for the market to give the company credit for the acquisition-related earnings growth and cash flow generation in the coming 3-5 years," the analyst added.

"As a result, we expect them to be range-bound from £70-80 through the coming 6-12 months."

Friday 6 August

INTERIMS

Contour Global , Hikma Pharmaceuticals, The Renewables Infrastructure Group Limited

INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

CC Japan Income & Growth Trust, Micro Focus International, Mobeus Income & Growth 4 Vct, Schroder UK Mid Cap Fund

QUARTERLY PAYMENT DATE

BlackRock Latin American Inv Trust, BMO UK High Income Trust , BMO UK High Income Trust B Shares

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Consumer Credit (US) (20:00)

Industrial Production (GER) (07:00)

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

Unemployment Rate (US) (13:30)

Wholesales Inventories (US) (15:00)

SPECIAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Gulf Keystone Petroleum Ltd Com Shs (DI), I3 Energy

EGMS

United Bank Ltd GDR (Reg S)

AGMS

Cake Box Holdings, GSTechnologies NPV (DI)

UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Halifax House Price Index (08:30)

FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

B&M European Value Retail S.A. (DI), British Land Company, Burberry Group, Tate & Lyle, Vodafone Group, Volex, Wincanton, Workspace Group