Thursday preview: ECB, Shell in the spotlight

All eyes on Thursday would be on the European Central Bank as policymakers in Frankfurt met to decide on rates.

Consensus was for a 25 basis point interest rate hike to 3.75% in the main refinancing rate.

Ahead of that decision, at 0900 BST, S&P Global and HCOB were to release a final reading for their euro area services sector Purchasing Managers' Index.

It would be followed at 1000 BST by a reading on producer prices in the single currency bloc for the month of March.

ECB boss Christine Lagarde was due to deliver a speech at 1345 BST.

On home shores, at 0930 BST the Office for National Statistics would publish its consumer credit and mortgage approval numbers for March.

Stateside, all eyes would be on the latest weekly unemployment claims data and non-farm productivity and labour cost indicators for the first quarter.

Shell was likely to dominate the headlines in the corporate space.

Michael Hewson, chief market analyst at CMC Markets UK, said that the oil major was likely to post lower first quarter revenues due to softer demand and the decline in prices in comparison to the prior three-month stretch.

At its annual results in February the company guided towards $23-27bn of investments for the full-year and said that it would integrate its oil and gas and LNG arms as part of a streamlining effort.

Stateside, after the close of markets, tech heavyweight Apple was due to release its second quarter earnings (consensus: $1.43 per share on $92.56bn in sales).

Thursday May 04

INTERIMS

Virgin Money UK

INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

London Finance & Investment Group, Manchester & London Investment Trust

INTERIM EX-DIVIDEND DATE

AB Dynamics, Lok'n Store Group, Royal Bank of Scotland 11% Cum. Prf, Royal Bank of Scotland 5.5% Cum. Prf., Seneca Growth Capital Vct, Seneca Growth Capital Vct B, Smart (J) & Co.

QUARTERLY EX-DIVIDEND DATE

BlackRock World Mining Trust, Picton Property Income Ltd

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Balance of Trade (GER) (07:00)

Balance of Trade (US) (13:30)

Continuing Claims (US) (13:30)

Initial Jobless Claims (US) (13:30)

PMI Composite (EU) (09:00)

PMI Composite (GER) (08:51)

PMI Services (EU) (09:00)

PMI Services (GER) (08:51)

Producer Price Index (EU) (10:00)

GMS

Aviva

FINALS

e-Therapeutics, Trainline

IMSS

Rathbones Group

SPECIAL EX-DIVIDEND DATE

Admiral Group, Hvivo

AGMS

AIB Group (CDI), Aviva, BiVictriX Therapeutics, Domino's Pizza Group, Glanbia (CDI), Grafton Group Ut (CDI), Hammerson, Howden Joinery Group, IMI, Indivior, ITV, LungLife AI, Inc (DI) , Mincon Group (CDI), Mondi, Moneysupermarket.com Group, Morgan Sindall Group, Personal Group Holdings, Phoenix Group Holdings , Rathbones Group, SIG, Ten Entertainment Group , Travis Perkins, Witan Inv Trust, Zhejiang Expressway Co 'H' Shares

TRADING ANNOUNCEMENTS

Derwent London, Mondi, Morgan Sindall Group, Next

UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Consumer Credit (09:30)

M4 Money Supply (09:30)

Mortgage Approvals (09:30)

PMI Composite (09:30)

PMI Construction (09:30)

PMI Services (09:30)

FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

CRH (CDI), Nichols, Schroders, SEGRO

FINAL EX-DIVIDEND DATE

4Imprint Group, Admiral Group, Bank of Cyprus Holdings Public Limited Company (CDI), Centralnic Group , Dunedin Income Growth Inv Trust, Harworth Group, Henry Boot, Hiscox Limited (DI), Investec Investment Trust 3 1/2% Cumulative Preference Stock, Lancashire Holdings Limited, LLoyds Banking Group 9.25% Non-Cum Irredeemable Pref Shares, LLoyds Banking Group 9.75% Non-Cum Irredeemable Pref Shares, Midwich Group, North American Income Trust (The), Octopus AIM VCT 2, Porvair, Public Policy Holding Company, Inc. (DI) (REG S, CAT3), RBG Holdings, Safestyle UK , Shanta Gold Ltd., St James's Place, Tclarke , Zotefoams

Q1

Endeavour Mining, Shell , Wheaton Precious Metals Corp.NPV (CDI)