Thursday preview: Bank of England, Cineworld in the spotlight

Financial markets' attention on Thursday will be on the Bank of England, even as investors keep a wary eye trained on events in Ukraine.

Policymakers are widely expected to hike Bank Rate again, by 25 basis points, to 0.75%.

Nonetheless, for their part, economists at Barclays Research expect the Monetary Policy Committee to strike a dovish tone, given the uncertainty around the conflict in Ukraine.

Barclays expected the monetary policy decision to be unanimous.

A raft of economic data is set for release in the States, including the results of the Philly Fed's factory sector survey for March.

Across the Channel meanwhile, at 0930 GMT, European Central Bank president, Christine Lagarde, will speak at 'The ECB and its Watchers XXII' conference.

Against that backdrop, at 1000 GMT, Eurostat will publish a final reading for euro area consumer prices in February.

The most important element of Cineworld's full-year results presentation will likely be its guidance. That is because the heavily indebted company, which is also facing potential multi-million legal redress costs for their aborted merger, needs to see a "big" improvement in revenues, says Michael Hewson, chief market analyst at CMC Markets UK.

Compounding matters, recent sharp increases in inflation are likely to be a drag on discretionary spending, although Cineworld did report a sharp pick up in sales for December, which allowed it to turn cash-flow positive during the fourth quarter.

Worth noting, in the past the company has broached the possibility of pursuing a US listing and a possible flotation of its Regal unit in the States.

Thursday 17 March

INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Ideagen, Knights Group Holdings

INTERIM EX-DIVIDEND DATE

Brooks Macdonald Group, Colefax Group, Dunelm Group, Grit Real Estate Income Group Limited NPV, Ince Group (The), JPMorgan Mid Cap Inv Trust, NWF Group, Thorpe (F.W.), Trifast, Triple Point VCT 2011 'B'

QUARTERLY EX-DIVIDEND DATE

Round Hill Music Royalty Fund Limited NPV, Standard Life Private Equity Trust

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Building Permits (US) (12:30)

Capacity Utilisation (US) (13:15)

Continuing Claims (US) (12:30)

Housing Starts (US) (12:30)

Industrial Production (US) (13:15)

Initial Jobless Claims (US) (12:30)

Philadelphia Fed Index (US) (12:30)

Retail Sales (US) (12:30)

FINALS

Ceres Power Holdings, Cineworld Group, Deliveroo Class A , EMIS Group, Empresaria Group, Harbour Energy , Helios Towers , Marshalls, PensionBee Group , Portmeirion Group, Transgloble Energy Corporation NPV (DI), Tribal Group

SPECIAL EX-DIVIDEND DATE

Anglo American, Thorpe (F.W.)

AGMS

Autins Group

TRADING ANNOUNCEMENTS

Ocado Group

UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

BoE Interest Rate Decision (12:00)

FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Blackrock Income And Growth Investment Trust, Treatt

FINAL EX-DIVIDEND DATE

Anglo American, Bellevue Healthcare Trust (Red), BlackRock World Mining Trust, Crest Nicholson Holdings, Dairy Farm International Holdings Ltd (Bermuda), Dairy Farm International Holdings Ltd. (Jersey), Dairy Farm International Holdings Ltd. (Singapore), HGCapital Trust, Hikma Pharmaceuticals, Hongkong Land Holding Ltd. (Bermuda), Hongkong Land Holding Ltd. (Jersey), Hongkong Land Holding Ltd. (Sing.Reg), Jardine Matheson Holdings Ltd (Singapore Reg), Jardine Matheson Holdings Ltd. (Bermuda), Jardine Matheson Holdings Ltd. (Jersey), MTI Wireless Edge Ltd., NATWEST GROUP PLC ORD 100P, RM, SEGRO, Spirent Communications