Thursday preview: EU budget talks, Anglo American in focus

The market spotlight on Thursday will be on the European Union budget talks as the remaining 27 members try to cover a near €60.0bn funding gap for the next seven-year multi-annual financial framework.

Against that backdrop, at 0930 GMT, the Office for National Statistics will publish retail sales data for the month of January, followed by the Confederation of British Industry's industrial trends survey at 1100 GMT.

Stateside meantime, at 1330 GMT the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia is due to publish its closely-followed regional factory sector index.

Also due out across the Channel are GfK's consumer confidence index for Germany in March and the European Commission's own survey results for the euro area referencing February.

Anglo American is among the outfits that are due to update investors on Thursday.

Analysts at Deutsche Bank expect the copper and platinum miner will post full-year earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation of $9.7bn with net debt pegged at $4.8bn.

Capital expenditures meanwhile were seen peaking at $5.5bn in 2020/21 with no extension of the firm's $1.0bn share buyback anticipated.

The ordinary dividend payout meanwhile was pegged at 40.0%, the minimum possible under its dividend.

Thursday 20 February

INTERIMS

Hays, Mcbride, Transense Technologies

INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Ramsdens Holdings

INTERIM EX-DIVIDEND DATE

Gateley (Holdings) , Heath (Samuel) & Sons, Mountview Estates

QUARTERLY PAYMENT DATE

M Winkworth

QUARTERLY EX-DIVIDEND DATE

Carnival, Chenavari Toro Income Fund Limited NPV, GlaxoSmithKline, NextEnergy Solar Fund Limited Red, Pershing Square Holdings Ltd NPV, Unilever, Yew Grove Reit

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Continuing Claims (US) (13:30)

GFK Consumer Confidence (GER) (07:00)

Initial Jobless Claims (US) (13:30)

Q4

Smith & Nephew

GMS

Tiziana Life Sciences

FINALS

BAE Systems, Morgan Sindall Group, Rathbone Brothers, Smith & Nephew

SPECIAL EX-DIVIDEND DATE

British Smaller Companies VCT, Independent Inv Trust

EGMS

Bank Audi S.A.L. GDR (Repr 1'Com'Shr Lbp1650)(Reg S), Highbridge Tactical Credit Fund Limited NVP GBP , Plus500 Ltd (DI)

AGMS

IntegraFin Holding

FINAL EX-DIVIDEND DATE

BBGI SICAV S.A. (DI), Blackrock Throgmorton Trust, Driver Group, Henderson Opportunities Trust, Impax Asset Management Group, Independent Inv Trust, Jersey Electricity 'A' Shares, Nexus Infrastructure , Trian Investors 1 Limited NPV