Thursday preview: BoE decision, BT Group in focus

The market spotlight will shift towards this side of the Pond on Thursday, as the Monetary Policy Committee announces its latest decisions.

No change in policy is expected, but only by a whisker, with the MPC expected to be split nearly down the middle on whether to raise Bank Rate or not.

Offsetting that a smidgen, this time around, all nine MPC members are expected to have voted in favour of keeping gilt purchase unchanged at its current setting.

At the last meeting, two members had voted in favour of a decrease.

Across the Channel, investors will be keeping an eye out for final readings on IHS Markit's services sector Purchasing Managers' Indices from across the euro area.

Norges Bank's interest rate announcement at 0900 GMT may also draw some attention.

In the States meanwhile, as occurs every Thursday, the main data point for markets will be the latest weekly jobless claims figures.

For BT Group's fiscal second quarter, UBS analyst Polo Tang has penciled-in sales of approximately £5.18bn for earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation of £1.88bn.

His expectation was for the telecommunication group's results to show "weakening financials q-o-q and mixed operational trends", particularly in mobile, where he expected conditions to remain challenging.

He also pointed out the possibility that the economic uncertainty and end of furlough might impact the recovery in GS/Enterprise.

"Overall, we think BT shares will be volatile over the coming months with mixed data points - positive data points could be a fibre JV/hopes of M&A (link) and negative data points could be weak operating trends and announcements from Sky or TalkTalk undertaking wholesale broadband deals with VMO2."

Wednesday 03 November

INTERIMS

Braemar Shipping Services, Esken Limited, Trainline

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Crude Oil Inventories (US) (14:30)

Factory Orders (US) (14:00)

ISM Prices Paid (US) (15:00)

ISM Services (US) (15:00)

MBA Mortgage Applications (US) (11:00)

PMI Composite (GER) (08:55)

PMI Composite (US) (14:45)

PMI Services (GER) (08:55)

PMI Services (US) (14:45)

Unemployment Rate (EU) (09:00)

Q3

Amryt Pharma

FINALS

Nanoco Group

AGMS

Hansard Global, Manchester & London Investment Trust

TRADING ANNOUNCEMENTS

AIB Group (CDI), Coca-Cola HBC AG (CDI), Ibstock , Next, Smurfit Kappa Group (CDI)

FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Mattioli Woods