Thursday preview: Bank of England, Dixon's Carphone in the spotlight

The market spotlight on Thursday will be firmly on central banks, as policymakers at the Bank of England meet to decide on interest rates, with several of them having recently cautioned that financial markets might be underestimating the scope for a hike in Bank Rate before year end.

So much so that some analysts think it possible - albeit not the most likely scenario - that the Monetary Policy Committee's Michael Saunders might break ranks with his fellow members and cast his vote in favour of an immediate hike in Bank Rate.

In the background meanwhile, policymakers from at least five other central banks were to be called on to decide on rates, including those in Japan, Norway Taiwan the Phillipines and Indonesia.

As far as economic data releases are concerned, the main ones to watch out for are Eurostat's preliminary consumer confidence gauge for the euro area covering the month of June, at 1600 BST, and the Philly Fed's manufacturing sector gauge for the same month later in the day at 1500 BST.

Dixons Carphone is among the scant handful of corporates due to update financial markets on Thursday.

Numis's Simon Bowler has penciled in full-year profits before tax of £307m, versus the company's own guidance for £300.0m in profits, exceptional cash flows of roughly £100.0m and £190.0m in capital outlays.

In particular, Bowler expects markets' focus to be on the company's trading momentum over the fourth quarter and outlook, including "qualitative" comments, especially for the mobile business.

On that last score, Bowler said: "Here we fear that further confirmation of profit and cash challenges to the mobile business could drag on sentiment, albeit we acknowledge that (at the point of writing) the shares have re-traced towards lows going into results."

For N Brown meanwhile, Bowler is expecting the women's fashion retailer to post a 3% decline in first quarter sales.

Revenues might decline, he said, but "better" cost management was expected to support the company's profit and cash outlook.

Thursday June 20

INTERIMS

CareTech Holding

INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Cerillion , Euromoney Institutional Investor

INTERIM EX-DIVIDEND DATE

Compass Group, Gooch & Housego, Inland Homes, ITE Group

QUARTERLY EX-DIVIDEND DATE

Brunner Inv Trust, Land Securities Group, Mercantile Investment Trust (The), Standard Life Private Equity Trust, TwentyFour Select Monthly Income Fund Limited

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Continuing Claims (US) (13:30)

Current Account (US) (13:30)

Initial Jobless Claims (US) (13:30)

Philadelphia Fed Index (US) (13:30)

GMS

A&J Mucklow Group, Anglo Asian Mining

FINALS

Best of the Best

SPECIAL EX-DIVIDEND DATE

Castings

AGMS

4D Pharma , Anglo Asian Mining, Augean, BH Macro Ltd. GBP Shares, Energiser Investments, Eurasia Mining, HSS Hire Group , HydroDec Group, NMC Health, PJSC Lukoil ADR, REA Holdings

UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

BoE Interest Rate Decision (12:00)

Retail Sales (09:30)

FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Gamma Communications

FINAL EX-DIVIDEND DATE

Amati AIM Vct , Anexo Group , B&M European Value Retail S.A. (DI), Big Yellow Group, Braemar Shipping Services, Edinburgh Inv Trust, First Derivatives, MS International, Norcros, Northern 2 VCT, Northern 3 VCT, ProVen Growth & Income VCT, ProVen VCT, S&U, Steppe Cement Ltd, Stobart Group Ltd., Tate & Lyle, TR Property Inv Trust, United Utilities Group