Thursday preview: UK GDP, Eurozone inflation, US initial jobless claims

Traders will be kept busy on Thursday sifting through a batch of economic data which includes UK gross domestic product, Eurozone inflation and US initial jobless claims.

The final estimate for fourth quarter UK GDP is due in the morning with analysts expecting 1.9% growth, unchanged from the previous forecast but down from 2.1% in the third quarter.

The Office for National Statistics is expected to reiterate its quarter-on-quarter estimate of 0.5% growth for the last three months of 2015, marking an improvement on the previous quarter’s 0.4% increase.

The UK will also see the release of GfK’s consumer confidence survey. The sentiment index is expected to fall to -1 in March from 0 in February, amid concerns about a global economic slowdown, low inflation and political uncertainty surrounding a possible Brexit.

In the Eurozone, inflation figures for March will be closely assessed to see whether the European Central Bank’s latest policy measures have provided any support.

Economists have pencilled in a 0.1% year-on-year drop in the consumer price index, up from a 0.2% fall in February.

In an effort to lift inflation back towards the ECB’s target of just below 2%, the central bank earlier this month announced a raft of measures which included cutting the benchmark interest rate and expanding the monthly asset purchase programme.

Meanwhile, the US initial jobless claims report is projected to reveal an unchanged reading of 265,000. It comes ahead of the all-important non-farm payrolls report which Societe Generale expects to show an increase of 217,000 in March, up from 214,000 in February.

Thursday 31 March

INTERIMS
James Halstead

INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
BHP Billiton, Hansard Global, Hargreaves Lansdown, Independent Inv Trust, Journey Group, Redrow

INTERIM EX-DIVIDEND DATE
Finsbury Food Group, Origin Enterprises, Smith (DS), Softcat, Volution Group (WI), Wolseley

QUARTERLY PAYMENT DATE
Custodian Reit , HICL Infrastructure Company Ltd, MedicX Fund Ltd., Premier Energy & Water Trust, Raven Russia Ltd. Cum Red Pref Shares, Real Estate Credit Investments PCC Ltd Pref Shs

QUARTERLY EX-DIVIDEND DATE
British Land Company, Torchmark Corp.

FINALS
Chesnara, Globaltrans Investment GDR (Reg S), Hilton Food Group, Publishing Technology, Scisys, Sierra Rutile Ltd, Wireless Group

ANNUAL REPORT
Ferrexpo, Macfarlane Group

SPECIAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Beazley, Panther Securities, Premier Energy & Water Trust

EGMS
DQ Entertainment, Global Telecom Holding S.A.E. GDR (Each Repr 5 Ord Egp5)(Reg S)

AGMS
African Potash Ltd, Be Heard Group, Keras Resources , Low & Bonar, W H Ireland Group

TRADING ANNOUNCEMENTS
Booker Group, CMC Markets , TUI AG Reg Shs (DI)

FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Aviva 8 3/8% Cumulative Irrd Preference 1, EP Global Opportunities Trust, ICBC Standard Bank, Imperial Brands , Northern Electricity Prf, Temple Bar Inv Trust

FINAL EX-DIVIDEND DATE
BrainJuicer Group, EMIS Group, Equiniti Group , Foreign and Colonial Inv Trust, InterContinental Hotels Group, Interserve, Jardine Lloyd Thompson Group, Lighthouse Group, Maven Income & Growth 3 VCT, Maven Income and Growth VCT 5, Miton Group, Moneysupermarket.com Group, Nichols, Old Mutual, Stadium Group