Thursday preview: ECB decision, US retail sales in the spotlight

Investors' focus on Thursday will be the European Central Bank's interest rate decision.

Consensus is that the monetary authority's deposit facility rate will be lowered by 25 basis points to 3.25%.

By the end of 2024 it is expected to reach 2.75%.

Cristina Gavin, Fixed Income head at Spanish lender Ibercaja however thinks the ECB will only lower it to 3.0% by the end of the year.

Hence why ECB chief Christine Lagarde's remarks at her post-meeting presser will be parsed for clues, especially as regarded 2025, she said.

The ECB was not scheduled to provide updated economic forecasts on Thursday.

The announcement of the policy decision will be made at 1315 BST with the press conference set to start half an hour later.

Stateside investors will be waiting on monthly retail sales and industrial production data due out at 1330 BST and 1415 BST, respectively.

Thursday 17 October

Q3

Centamin (DI), St James's Place

TRADING ANNOUNCEMENTS

Ibstock, Dunelm Group, Mondi, Rentokil Initial, AJ Bell

AGMs

Rank Group, Quiz

FINAL EX-DIVIDEND DATE

Smiths Group, Hays

FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

South32 Limited (DI), Diageo, IG Group Holdings

INTERIM EX-DIVIDEND DATE

TwentyFour Select Monthly Income Fund Limited, Persimmon, Invesco Bond Income Plus Limited NPV, Senior, ITV, Old Mutual Limited NPV (DI)Spirax Group, Gulf Keystone Petroleum Ltd Com Shs (DI), Coats Group, Livermore Investments Group Ltd., Howden Joinery Group, Animalcare Group, Montanaro UK Smaller Companies Inv Trust, Next 15 Group, Twentyfour Income Fund Limited Ord Red

INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Gamma Communications, Aviva, BBGI Global Infrastructure S.A. NPV (DI)

QURTERLY EX-DIVIDEND DATE

JpMorgan China Growth & Income, Custodian Property Income Reit, M Winkworth

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Consumer Price Index (10:00)

Balance of Trade (EU) (10:00)

Retail Sales (US) (13:30)

Initial Jobless Claims (US) (13:30)

Continuing Claims (US) (13:30)

Industrial Production (US) (14:15)

Capacity Utilisation (US) (14:15)

Business Inventories (US) (15:00)

Crude Oil Inventories (US) (16:00)