Friday preview: Week winds down with UK economic data

The week is set to wind down with a few economic data releases which include UK trade.

The Office for National Statistics is expected to reveal the UK trade deficit narrowed to £3.4bn in February from £3.5bn in January.

The UK also sees the release of manufacturing and industrial production figures for February. Analysts predict a year-on-year gain of 0.7% for manufacturing output and zero growth in industrial output. The latest report comes amid pressure in the industry, weighed down by falling commodities and a slowdown in emerging economies.

Meanwhile, a report from the NIESR on its gross domestic product estimate will be released in afternoon trade.

In the US, data on wholesale inventories in February will be published, with economists projecting a 0.2% drop in February compared to a month ago.

On the company front, there are no significant results due.

Friday 08 April

INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
AdEPT Telecom, Clinigen Group, Foresight Solar & Infrastructure VCT, Foresight Solar & Infrastructure VCT , Hargreaves Services, JPMorgan Mid Cap Inv Trust, London Finance & Investment Group, Oxford Instruments

QUARTERLY PAYMENT DATE
BlackRock Income Strategies Trust , Schlumberger Ltd.

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
Balance of Trade (GER) (07:00)
Current Account (GER) (07:00)
Wholesales Inventories (US) (15:00)

SPECIAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Jupiter Fund Management

EGMS
ROS Agro GDR REG S

AGMS
Apax Global Alpha Limited , Bank Audi S.A.L. GDR (Repr 1'Com'Shr Lbp1650)(Reg S), New World Resources A Shares

UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
Balance of Trade (09:30)
Industrial Production (09:30)
Manufacturing Production (09:30)

FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Crest Nicholson Holdings, Driver Group, Jupiter Fund Management , RM, Safestore Holdings, Treatt