Thursday preview: British American Tobacco in the spotlight

All eyes on Thursday will be on the European Central Bank's monetary policy decision.

Economists at Barclays Research expect the monetary authority will confirm its intention to end net asset purchases in June, thus opening the door to an anticipated first hike in rates in July.

Financial markets will also likely be closely monitoring ECB chief Christine Lagarde's press conference, from 1330 GMT, for any clues regarding the outlook for rates beyond summer.

On home shores, the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors will release its house price balance for May.

Further afield, overnight China's General Customs Administration will publish foreign trade data for May.

Stateside, investors will be keeping a close eye on the latest weekly initial unemployment claims figures for any sign of weakness - or the opposite.

For British American Tobacco's second quarter results, investors will be watching to see if the outfit continues to make progress to move back into the black.

In March, the company announced its intention to exit Russia and lowered its guidance for full-year sales growth to 2.0-4.0%.

However, over the first quarter the consumer base for its non-combustible products increased by a further 1.1m to 19.4m, leaving it on target to meet its sales target for the unit.

The company's shares had performed "well" year-to-date, Michael Hewson, chief market analyst at CMC Markets UK pointed out, leaving them trading near multi-year highs.

Thursday 8 June

FINALS

Mitie Group, Norcros, Tate & Lyle, Peel Hunt Limited NPV, Cmc Markets

INTERIMS

RWS Holdings

AGMs

Dignity, Kore Potash, 4basebio, Rambler Metals & Mining, Sopheon, Invesco Perpetual UK Smaller Companies Inv Trust, Xpediator, Kings Arms Yard VCT, REA Holdings, Round Hill Music Royalty Fund Limited NPV, Kistos, Checkit, BioPharma Credit, Funding Circle Holdings, Aquila European Renewables Income Fund (GBP), Panther Metals, Northbridge Industrial Services, Corero Network Security, Instem

FINAL EX-DIVIDEND DATE

Young & Co's Brewery 'A' Shares, Johnson Matthey, Devro, Young & Co's Brewery (Non-Voting), Sopheon, Animalcare Group, Anglo-Eastern Plantations, Worldwide Healthcare Trust, Foresight VCT, Capital & Counties Properties, Dr. Martens, Aurora Investment Trust, London Security, Marshalls, Sainsbury (J), Pacific Assets Trust, Alliance Pharma, WPP, Judges Scientific, Computacenter, Capital Gearing Trust, Irish Continental Group Units (Comp) (CDI), Edinburgh Inv Trust, Christie Group

FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Reckitt Benckiser Group, Phoenix Spree Deutschland Limited SHS NPV

INTERIM EX-DIVIDEND DATE

Ferrexpo, Triple Point Social Housing Reit, LondonMetric Property, IntegraFin Holding, Temple Bar Inv Trust, BMO Capital & Income Investment Trust, BMO Real Estate Investments Limited, AJ Bell, Associated British Foods, PayPoint, Compass Group, Renew Holdings, Mobeus Income & Growth Vct, Orchard Funding Group, Barings Emerging Emea Opportunities, BMO Commercial Property Trust Limited, Watkin Jones, British Smaller Companies VCT, Shaftesbury, Smiths News, Hollywood Bowl Group, Topps Tiles, Develop North

INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Jarvis Securities, Blackstone Loan Financing Limited (EUR), Sequoia Economic Infrastructure Income Fund Limited

QUARTERLY EX-DIVIDEND DATE

Assura

QUARTERLY PAYMENT DATE

Greencoat Renewables (CDI)

UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

RICS Housing Market Survey (00:01)

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

ECB Interest Rate (EU) (12:45)

Initial Jobless Claims (US) (13:30)

Continuing Claims (US) (13:30)