Thursday preview: ECB, Dunelm in the spotlight

Financial markets' focus on Thursday will shift to the European Central Bank as the euro area's monetary policymakers meet to decide on policy.

No changes are anticipated but Barclays Research does see that the possibility that ECB boss, Christine Lagarde, could strike a 'dovish' tone in order to "talk down" the single currency.

Across the Pond, a further reading is due out on initial weekly jobless claims, which are expected to have retreated from the 881,000 pace observed over the prior seven-day stretch to 850,000.

Headline producer prices meanwhile are expected to have held at down by 0.4% year-on-year in August.

Both reports out of the US are scheduled for release at 1330 BST, just as Lagarde's presser is scheduled to start.

On home shores, the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors will publish its house price balance, also for August.

Earlier, readings are due out for French and Italian industrial production covering the month of July.

For Dunelm's full-year 2020 financial year results, UBS's Olivia Townsend said investors' focus would be on any guidance as regards profits before tax for FY 2021.

The company had already updated on sales growth Townsend said, but not on profits.

So too, on 15 July, the furniture retailer had told shareholders they could expect a 3.9% drop in FY sales to reach £1.06bn with profits before tax pegged at £105-110m.

Townsend's own estimate was at £107.5m.

She was also looking for details on current sales growth and steps taken to ramp-up investment in order to support higher online penetration going forwards.

Thursday 10 September

INTERIMS

Cairn Homes , Deepmatter Group, Epwin Group, International Public Partnerships Ltd., Jadestone Energy Inc NPV (DI), Jadestone Energy Inc NPV (DI), Midatech Pharma , Mirriad Advertising , Secure Income Reit , Serica Energy, Team17 Group

INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Argentex Group

INTERIM EX-DIVIDEND DATE

Athelney Trust, Avast, BBGI SICAV S.A. (DI), Chrysalis VCT, Derwent London, Gamesys Group, Globalworth Real Estate Investments Limited, Goco Group , Holders Technology, Integrated Diagnostics Holdings, Macfarlane Group, Property Franchise Group, Wentworth Resources NPV, XP Power Ltd. (DI), Zotefoams

QUARTERLY PAYMENT DATE

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION COM STK USD0.20 (CDI)

QUARTERLY EX-DIVIDEND DATE

Assura , Honeycomb Investment Trust

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Continuing Claims (US) (13:30)

Crude Oil Inventories (US) (16:00)

ECB Interest Rate (EU) (12:45)

Initial Jobless Claims (US) (13:30)

Producer Price Index (US) (13:30)

Wholesales Inventories (US) (15:00)

GMS

Tertiary Minerals

FINALS

Dunelm Group, Go-Ahead Group, Go-Ahead Group

AGMS

Atlantis Japan Growth Fund Ltd., Beowulf Mining, British Smaller Companies VCT, Brown (N.) Group, Invesco Income Growth Trust, Montanaro European Smaller Companies Trust, NB Private Equity Partners Ltd., ReNeuron Group, Speedy Hire, Stanley Gibbons Group, U And I Group, Victoria

UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

RICS Housing Market Survey (00:10)

FINAL EX-DIVIDEND DATE

Arcontech Group, Artemis Alpha Trust, Clipper Logistics , Goodwin Plc, Manolete Partners, Mattioli Woods, National Westminster 9%pf, South32 Limited (DI)