Thursday preview: US data, ABF in the spotlight

Investors will be eyeing another batch of key economic indicators in the States on Thursday, with the Philly Fed's regional manufacturing index at 1330 GMT perhaps the most interesting of the lot.

Also due out are a reading on housing starts for the month of December and weekly jobless claims data.

Across the Channel meanwhile, the spotlight will be on a final reading on euro area consumer prices covering that same month.

Back in the UK, the Bank of England will publish its credit conditions survey at 0930 GMT, which will arrive alongside RICS house price balance for December.

The corporate calendar is also set to pick-up pace, with Associated British Foods among the companies due to update investors.

Simon Bowler is expected "modest" revenue at the group level, but in a research note sent to clients he noted recent weakness in the price of sugar, cautioning that any comments on the outlook were likely to be cautious.

At the company's iconic Primark unit, his forecast was for 5% growth in sales on the back of a 7% increase in space but a 2% drop in like-for-like sales.

"Following the cautious statement on November trading made at the AGM, we have assumed a pick-up in December, as seen with peer Next. We don't expect any material changes to management FY guidance for adjusted EPS to be flat yoy."

Thursday January 17

INTERIMS

Ilika

INTERIM EX-DIVIDEND DATE

Ashtead Group, British Smaller Companies VCT 2, Consort Medical, Fletcher King, Ramsdens Holdings , SSE, Stenprop Limited

QUARTERLY EX-DIVIDEND DATE

F&C Commercial Property Trust Ltd., Scottish Inv Trust, Supermarket Income Reit

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Building Permits (US) (00:00)

Housing Starts (US) (13:30)

Wholesale Price Index (GER) (07:00)

Q3

Brown (N.) Group, Premier Foods, Whitbread

Q4

Rio Tinto

FINALS

Chemring Group

SPECIAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

LXB Retail Properties, Panther Securities

SPECIAL EX-DIVIDEND DATE

BowLeven, Scottish Inv Trust

AGMS

Aberdeen Standard Asia Focus , Aberdeen Standard Equity Income Trust , Cardiff Property, Game Digital

TRADING ANNOUNCEMENTS

4Imprint Group, Associated British Foods, DP Eurasia N.V. (DI) , Experian, Ibstock , Ten Entertainment Group

UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

RICS Housing Market Survey (00:01)

FINAL EX-DIVIDEND DATE

Compass Group, CYBG , Dewhurst, Future, Hargreave Hale AIM VCT , Shaftesbury, Titon Holdings

Q1

Associated British Foods, Sage Group, SSP Group