Thursday preview: ECB, US retail sales in focus

All eyes on Thursday were expected to be on the European Central Bank as rate-setters in Frankfurt met to decide on monetary policy.

A further 25 basis point interest rate hike was anticipated, taking its main refinancing rate to 4.0% and that on the deposit facility for lenders to 3.50%.

Against that backdrop, investors would also be digesting a slew of economic reports due out in the States.

Chief amongst those, at 1330 BST the Department of Commerce was expected to announce that retail sales volumes edged up by 0.1% month-on-month and by 0.3% at the core level.

Also due out were readings for weekly jobless claims, industrial production in May and the Philly Fed's factory survey for June.

Thursday 15 June

INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Aeci 5 1/2% Prf, Enwell Energy

INTERIM EX-DIVIDEND DATE

AVI Global Trust , Blackrock Frontiers Investment Trust, Foresight Enterprise VCT , Impax Asset Management Group, Witan Investment Trust Plc

QUARTERLY PAYMENT DATE

Canadian General Investments Ltd., Petrotal Corporation NPV (DI), Unilever

QUARTERLY EX-DIVIDEND DATE

Brunner Inv Trust, Ecora Resources, Thomaslloyd Energy Impact Trust , Thomaslloyd Energy Impact Trust , TwentyFour Select Monthly Income Fund Limited , XP Power Ltd. (DI)

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Balance of Trade (EU) (10:00)

Business Inventories (US) (15:00)

Capacity Utilisation (US) (14:15)

Continuing Claims (US) (13:30)

Empires State Manufactacturing (US) (13:30)

Import and Export Price Indices (US) (13:30)

Industrial Production (US) (14:15)

Initial Jobless Claims (US) (13:30)

Philadelphia Fed Index (US) (13:30)

Retail Sales (US) (13:30)

Retail Sales Less Autos (US) (13:30)

Wholesale Price Index (GER) (07:00)

GMS

M & G Credit Income Investment Trust , Nanosynth group

FINALS

Halfords Group, Halma, Jlen Environmental Assets Group Limited NPV, Molten Ventures, Norcros, Syncona Limited NPV

EGMS

Amaroq Minerals Ltd. Npv (DI)

AGMS

Amaroq Minerals Ltd. Npv (DI), Anexo Group , ASA International Group , Baillie Gifford China Growth Trust , Directa Plus, Everyman Media Group , Informa, Inspects Group , IP Group, LBG Media , M & G Credit Income Investment Trust , NB Private Equity Partners Ltd., Novacyt S.A. (CDI), Parity Group, Pollen Street, Shaftesbury Capital, Slingsby H.C, Southern Energy Corp. NPV (DI)

TRADING ANNOUNCEMENTS

Fuller Smith & Turner

FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Empresaria Group, Intertek Group, Kakuzi Ltd., Ocean Wilsons Holdings Ltd.

FINAL EX-DIVIDEND DATE

3i Infrastructure, Amati AIM Vct , Animalcare Group, Camellia, Computacenter, EMIS Group, Facilities by ADF, Fidelity China Special Situations , Foresight VCT, Forterra, Inspired, Intermediate Capital Group, Keystone Law Group , Land Securities Group, Manx Financial Group, Maven Income & Growth VCT, NewRiver REIT, Pets at Home Group , Pharos Energy , Rotala, RS Group, S&U, Warpaint London