Thursday preview: BoE and ECB rate meetings, China data in focus

Investors' focus on Thursday will be on the Monetary Policy Committee as its members meet to decide on policy.

Barclays Research expected the MPC to downshift to a 50 basis point interest rate hike, supported by six of its nine members, while another two were expected to vote for a smaller 25bp increment and the other remaining member for a 75bp hike.

Across the Channel, a 50bp rate hike by the European Central Bank was also anticipated with markets likely to also be scrutinising the new economic projections that it was also set to release.

Policymakers at the ECB were also expected to outline their timeline for embarking on quantitative tightening.

In the US, investors would be pouring over a raft of economic releases, including for retail sales in November and manufacturing sector surveys covering December.

It would be a similar story overnight in Asia, where China's National Bureau of Statistics was scheduled to publish data for retail sales, industrial production and fixed asset investment in November.

Thursday 15 December

FINALS

C4X Discovery Holdings

INTERIMS

Currys

TRADING ANNOUNCEMENTS

Serco Group

EGMs

Glenveagh Properties (CDI)

FINAL EX-DIVIDEND DATE

Hamak Gold Limited NPV (DI), Artemis Resources Limited NPV (DI), Oriole Resources

INTERIM X-DIVIDEND DATE

Balanced Commercial Property Trust Limited, TwentyFour Select Monthly Income Fund Limited, Supreme, MS International, Redde Northgate, BlackRock Energy and Resources Income Trust, Mercia Asset Management, Baltic Classifieds Group, Mitie Group, Burberry Group, Vertu Motors, DSW Capital, Smith (DS), Caspian Sunrise, Templeton Emerging Markets Inv Trust, Chelverton UK Dividend Trust, CT Global Managed Portfolio Trust Inc Shs, Hipgnosis Songs Fund Limited NPV, Ferguson, Pittards, Thames Ventures Vct 1, JPMorgan Global Markets Emerging Income Trust, US Solar Fund, Discoverie Group, Halfords Group, ICG-Longbow Senior Secured UK Property Debt Investments Ltd, US Solar Fund (GBP), Cranswick, Triad Group, Redcentric, Triple Point Energy Transition, Fuller Smith & Turner, TR Property Inv Trust

INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Ninety One, Murray Income Trust

SPECIAL EX-DIVIDEND DATE

Seneca Growth Capital Vct, Foresight Enterprise VCT

QUARTERLY EX-DIVIDEND DATE

Tritax Eurobox (GBP), Tritax Eurobox (EUR)

QUARTERLY DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Canadian General Investments Ltd.

UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

BoE Interest Rate Minutes (12:00)

BoE Interest Rate Decision (12:00)

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Wholesale Price Index (GER) (07:00)

Continuing Claims (US) (13:30)

Initial Jobless Claims (US) (13:30)

Philadelphia Fed Index (US) (13:30)

Retail Sales (US) (13:30)

Capacity Utilisation (US) (14:15)

Industrial Production (US) (14:15)

Business Inventories (US) (15:00)