Thursday preview: BoE and ECB meetings in focus

The market spotlight will shift back to the U.K. on Thursday, where the Bank of England's policymakers will meet to decide on rates.

According to Michael Hewson, chief market analyst at CMC Markets UK, their chief concern is that wage growth of 7.9% is running ahead of services inflation at 6.6%.

Hence, while financial markets were already pricing in rate cuts for 2024, Hewson believed it would be "interesting" to see whether the Monetary Policy Committee's three external members dropped their dissent and opted for the status quo instead.

Consensus nevertheless was in any case for no change in rates at noon on Thursday.

The same was true of the European Central Bank, whose policy announcement would follow at 1315 GMT.

However, in the case of the ECB officials were expected to be under even more pressure to rein in growing expectations of rate cuts during the following year given weak economic growth.

Rate-setters at the Swiss National Bank were also scheduled to make their own policy announcement, at 0830 GMT.

Stateside meanwhile, investors would be pouring over the latest reports for retail sales, weekly jobless claims and import prices.

Thursday 14 December

INTERIMS

Currys , Gore Street Energy Storage Fund

INTERIM EX-DIVIDEND DATE

Baltic Classifieds Group, Burberry Group, Caffyns, Cranswick, Discoverie Group, DSW Capital, Fuller Smith & Turner, Halfords Group, Impellam Group, Mitie Group, Northern 2 VCT, Northern 3 VCT, Northern Venture Trust, Redde Northgate, Sirius Real Estate Ltd., Smith (DS), Templeton Emerging Markets Inv Trust, TR Property Inv Trust, Vertu Motors

QUARTERLY EX-DIVIDEND DATE

Balanced Commercial Property Trust Limited , Tritax Eurobox (EUR), Tritax Eurobox (GBP)

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Business Inventories (US) (15:00)

Continuing Claims (US) (13:30)

Import and Export Price Indices (US) (13:30)

Initial Jobless Claims (US) (13:30)

Retail Sales (US) (13:30)

GMS

Cobra Resources, Molten Ventures, Oakley Capital Investments Ltd. (DI)

FINALS

C4X Discovery Holdings , Driver Group, IntegraFin Holding

SPECIAL EX-DIVIDEND DATE

Associated British Foods, SLF Realisation Fund Limited C Shs NPV, SLF Realisation Fund Limited NPV

AGMS

Aeorema Communications, Arc Minerals Limited NPV (DI), eEnergy Group, Fidelity Special Values, Fintech Asia Limited Npv, Grit Real Estate Income Group Limited NPV, Helium One Group Ltd (DI), Marwyn Value Investors Limited, Sareum Holdings

TRADING ANNOUNCEMENTS

Balfour Beatty

UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

BoE Interest Rate Decision (12:00)

FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Aeci 5 1/2% Prf, NOTTS.B.S. 7 7/8% PERM INT BEARING SHS

FINAL EX-DIVIDEND DATE

Associated British Foods, Northamber, Oxford Metrics, Town Centre Securities, Witan Investment Trust Plc