Thursday preview: BoE announces policy decision, releases Inflation Report

The Bank of England’s Quarterly Inflation Report will be the centre of attention on Thursday while the central bank also releases its latest policy decision.

No surprises are expected from the BoE in its policy announcement, with analysts expecting it to keep interest rates unchanged at 0.50% and asset purchases at £375bn.

Instead, the market will be focused on Governor Mark Carney’s Inflation Report for any clues on when the Bank will raise rates.

Many analysts have pushed back their forecasts for an increase in interest rates until early 2017 following a slate of recent weak data combined with concerns about the pace of global growth.

Rabobank last month changed its forecasts from May 2016 to August 2016.

“The most hawkish of economists’ views appears to be focused on the increase in wage inflation in the UK and on the assumption that this will breed broad based price pressures in the foreseeable future,” said Rabobank’s senior strategist Jane Foley.

“We would argue, however, that the signals coming from the labour market are not completely clear and that continued weakness in commodity prices should also continue to limit the potential for a recovery in headline inflation.”

Thursday 05 November

INTERIMS
Cable & Wireless Communications, Dairy Crest Group, Shanks Group, Tate & Lyle

INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Brammer, Cenkos Securities, Fisher (James) & Sons, Synthomer

INTERIM EX-DIVIDEND DATE
Amati VCT , BlackRock Smaller Companies Trust, Bloomsbury Publishing, C&C Group, Cayenne Trust, Elderstreet VCT, JZ Capital Partners Ltd, Laird, Mission Marketing Group, Morgan Advanced Materials , RTC Group, SThree, Stobart Group Ltd.

QUARTERLY EX-DIVIDEND DATE
Barclays, BP, JPMorgan Claverhouse Inv Trust

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
ECB Report (EU) (09:00)
Factory Orders (GER) (11:00)
PMI Construction (GER) (08:30)
PMI Retail (EU) (09:10)
PMI Retail (GER) (09:10)
Retail Sales (EU) (10:00)

Q3
AstraZeneca, Komercni Banka A.S.GDR (Level 1), Lancashire Holdings Limited

GMS
Electra Private Equity, Savannah Resources

ANNUAL REPORT
Associated British Foods

IMSS
Cobham, Hikma Pharmaceuticals, Just Retirement Group, Legal & General Group, Morrison (Wm) Supermarkets, Partnership Assurance Group , Persimmon, RSA Insurance Group, Schroders, Schroders (Non-Voting), Synthomer

SPECIAL EX-DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Aberdeen Asian Smaller Companies Investment Trust

EGMS
PJSC Centre For Cargo Container Traffic Transcontainer GDR (Reg S)

AGMS
Abcam, JPMorgan Overseas Inv Trust, New Star Investment Trust

TRADING ANNOUNCEMENTS
Coca-Cola HBC AG (CDI), Howden Joinery Group, OPG Power Ventures, Partnership Assurance Group , Rentokil Initial, Supergroup

UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
BoE Inflation Report (09:30)
BoE Interest Rate Decision (12:00)
BoE Interest Rate Minutes (09:30)
New Car Registrations (09:00)

FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Haynes Publishing Group, IPPlus, Redde

FINAL EX-DIVIDEND DATE
Aberdeen Asian Smaller Companies Investment Trust, Aeorema Communications, Ashmore Group, Avingtrans, BlackRock Greater Europe Inv Trust, James Halstead, New Star Investment Trust, Plexus Holdings, Regenersis, SCS Group , Toro Limited