Thursday preview: BoE, ECB and Federal Reserve reveal policy details

The central banks of England, Europe and the US will take centre stage on Thursday as they release details of their latest policy decisions.

First up the Bank of England at 1200 BST is expected to announce it is keeping interest rates and its asset purchase programme unchanged at 0.5% and £375bn, respectively. The market doesn’t see the central bank raising interest rates until at least February, with some predicting a move in late 2016.

The BoE may provide hints on the timing of a rate increase in its meeting minutes, released alongside its policy announcement.

The European Central Bank will at 1230 BST also publish the accounts of its 2-3 September monetary policy meeting of the Governing Council. The market will be looking for any clues on whether the ECB will provide further easing measures, including the possibility of extending the quantitative easing programme beyond September 2016. Any discussion on a potential cut to the deposit rate will be also closely monitored.

In the US, the Federal Reserve releases its 16-17 September meeting minutes at 1900 BST, amid speculation on the first interest rate rise in nearly a decade.

Fed Chair Janet Yellen has said policymakers expected an increase at its October or December meetings this year.

However, last Friday’s weaker-than-anticipated non-farm payrolls report prompted some analyst to push back their expectations until next year.

Despite a slowing of job gains in September, Fed official John Williams said on Tuesday he still expects the central bank to begin raising rates this year. He said he believed the labour market has continued to improve and there have been no signs of a worsening global outlook.

"Things are looking up, and if they stay on track, I see this as the year we start the process of monetary policy normalisation," Williams said in a speech to the Urban Land Institute in San Francisco.

Thursday 08 October

INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Antofagasta, Arrow Global Group, Communisis, Crest Nicholson Holdings, Molins, PPHE Hotel Group Ltd, Restaurant Group, Zotefoams

INTERIM EX-DIVIDEND DATE
Amati Vct 2, Andrews Sykes Group, Aviva, Braime (T.F.& J.H.) Holdings, Braime (T.F.& J.H.) Holdings (Non-Voting), Brammer, Cenkos Securities, Central Asia Metals, Cobham, Crawshaw Group, Elegant Hotels Group , F&C Private Equity Trust, Graphite Enterprise Trust, Hunting, Iona Environmental VCT, Iona Environmental Vct 'B' Shares, Johnson Service Group, Judges Scientific, Kingfisher, Learning Technologies Group , London Security, Macfarlane Group, Northbridge Industrial Services, Premier Technical Services Group , Proven Planned Exit VCT, Rightmove, Saga , SIG, Smith & Nephew, Spirax-Sarco Engineering, StatPro Group, Synthomer, Tandem Group, Travis Perkins, Unite Group, Weir Group, Witan Pacific Inv Trust, WPP

QUARTERLY PAYMENT DATE
XP Power Ltd. (DI)

QUARTERLY EX-DIVIDEND DATE
Fair Oaks Income Fund Limited , Marsh & Mclennan Cos Inc., Merchants Trust, Schroder Income Growth Fund, Verizon Communications

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
Continuing Claims (US) (13:30)
FOMC Interest Rate Minutes (US) (19:00)
Initial Jobless Claims (US) (13:30)

FINALS
DFS Furniture, Produce Investments

ANNUAL REPORT
Produce Investments

IMSS
Hays

SPECIAL EX-DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Next, River and Mercantile Group , Synergy Health

AGMS
UniVision Engineering Ltd.

TRADING ANNOUNCEMENTS
Marston's

UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
BoE Interest Rate Decision (12:00)
BoE Interest Rate Minutes (09:30)
RICS Housing Market Survey (09:30)

FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Diageo

FINAL EX-DIVIDEND DATE
Begbies Traynor Group, City of London Investment Group, CPL Resources, DX (Group), Fulcrum Utility Services Ltd. (DI), Hays, Pembroke Vct, Photo-Me International, Redde, River and Mercantile Group