Thursday preview: Thanksgiving means quiet day for traders

Thanksgiving in the US will mean a quiet day of trading on Thursday, with little in the way of economic data and a few company earnings releases.

Marston’s reports its full year results, which are expected to show the pub operator achieved an increase in pre-tax profits to £90.9m from a previous £83m, as newly acquired Thwaites’ brewing business boosted brewing volumes by 15%.

Chief executive Ralph Findlay last month said the acquisition has allowed the group to exploit growth in premium and craft beers.

"The group has made good progress in the last year, with underlying growth in all of the business segments,” he said in an end-year trading update. “Our new pub-restaurants, premium pubs and lodges have all performed well and we have good visibility over the site pipeline to underpin our future growth.”

The trading update said in the Destination and Premium business, like-for-like sales increased 1.8%, including food like-for-like sales growth of 1.7% and wet like-for-like sales growth of 1.7%.

In Taverns, like-for-like sales rose 2% while the Leased division is expected to see like-for-like profits up 4% compared to last year.

“We expect to hold our forecasts (2016 pre-tax profit £100m; consensus £98.6m) and estimate that earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation [EBITDA] growth/dividends should drive a 25% equity return over the next two years if the 's enterprise value /EBITDA rating holds,” said Numis analyst Douglas Jack.

On the economic data front, GfK releases its German consumer confidence survey and a batch of Japanese data will be due late in the evening including inflation figures, household spending and the jobless rate.

Thursday 26 November

INTERIMS
Charles Stanley Group, First Property Group, Helical Bar, Latham (James), LondonMetric Property, PayPoint, Severn Trent, Torotrak, ULS Technology

INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Centrica

INTERIM EX-DIVIDEND DATE
3i Infrastructure, Amec Foster Wheeler, Anglo Pacific Group, Atkins (WS), Castings, John Laing Environmental Assets Group Limited , Juridica Investments Ltd., Mckay Securities, National Grid, RapidCloud International , SABMiller, Safeland, Walker Crips Group, Wynnstay Properties, Young & Co's Brewery 'A' Shares

QUARTERLY EX-DIVIDEND DATE
Custodian Reit , HICL Infrastructure Company Ltd

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
Continuing Claims (US) (13:30)
Initial Jobless Claims (US) (13:30)
M3 Money Supply (EU) (09:00)

Q3
Arrow Global Group, PJSC Centre For Cargo Container Traffic Transcontainer GDR (Reg S)

FINALS
Marston's, SSP Group

SPECIAL EX-DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Lancashire Holdings Limited

EGMS
Invista European Real Estate Trust Sicaf, Invista European Real Estate Trust Sicaf, Minera IRL Ltd.

AGMS
City Natural Resources High Yield Trust, CVS Group, IronRidge Resources Limited (DI), JPMorgan Global Convertibles Income Fund Ltd, Netcall, Sarossa , St Ives, Thor Mining

TRADING ANNOUNCEMENTS
Anglo Pacific Group

FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Mulberry Group, Wetherspoon (J.D.)

FINAL EX-DIVIDEND DATE
CVS Group, Diploma, Downing Three VCT D Share , Downing Two VCT D Share , Euromoney Institutional Investor, JPMorgan Japanese Inv Trust, Northern Venture Trust, Smart (J) & Co., St Ives, Utilitywise plc, Volution Group (WI)