Thursday preview: US CPI, Halma in the spotlight

Thursday will see the release of the week's key data point, a report on US consumer prices in May.

Consensus is for headline CPI to have accelerated from a 4.2% clip in April to 4.6% for last month.

Increases in core CPI are also expected to have quickened alongside, from 3.0% to 3.4%.

The latest print for initial weekly US unemployment claims is also due out.

Both US economic reports will be published at 1330 BST.

Across the Channel, rate-setters at the European Central Bank are due to meet to decide on policy with their decision due out at 1245 BST.

Economists at Barclays Research anticipate that the ECB will opt to keep the pace of bond purchases under its emergency PEPP programme unchanged during the third quarter versus the second.

On home shores meanwhile, overnight the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors will release its house price balance for the month of May.

On the corporate side of things, investors will be digesting Halma's financials for its 2021 financial year.

According to UBS analyst Xingzhou Lu, the safety equipment manufacturer could reassure on order visibility going into the 2022 financial year and as regards trading in those business segments hardest hit by the pandemic.

Halma's management had previously guided towards 10% topline growth and medium-term earnings per share growth in excess of 10%.

Updates on mergers and acquisitions as well as on balance sheet strength and free cash flow generation were also possible.

Thursday 10 June

INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Ecofin U.S. Renewables Infrastructure Trust, Ecofin U.S. Renewables Infrastructure Trust

INTERIM EX-DIVIDEND DATE

Aeci 5 1/2% Prf, AJ Bell, AVI Global Trust , Blackrock Frontiers Investment Trust, Daily Mail and General Trust A (Non.V), Impax Asset Management Group, Nexus Infrastructure , Orchard Funding Group , Panther Securities, Shaftesbury, TOC Property Backed Lending Trust, Triple Point Vct 2011 A, Watkin Jones

QUARTERLY PAYMENT DATE

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION COM STK USD0.20 (CDI), Round Hill Music Royalty Fund Limited NPV, Seplat Petroleum Development Company (DI), Unilever

QUARTERLY EX-DIVIDEND DATE

Assura , Ediston Property Investment Company

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Consumer Price Index (US) (13:30)

Continuing Claims (US) (13:30)

ECB Interest Rate (EU) (12:45)

Initial Jobless Claims (US) (13:30)

FINALS

Auto Trader Group , CMC Markets, Halma, Jlen Environmental Assets Group Limited NPV, Norcros, Ted Baker

SPECIAL EX-DIVIDEND DATE

Seneca Growth Capital Vct

AGMS

Angle, British Smaller Companies VCT 2, Dunedin Income Growth Inv Trust, Equals Group , Ergomed , Gamesys Group, Invesco Perpetual UK Smaller Companies Inv Trust, Kings Arms Yard VCT, Lenta International Public Joint-Stock Company GDR (144A), M. P. Evans Group, Morrison (Wm) Supermarkets, Parity Group, RHI Magnesita N.V. (DI), Sopheon , Team17 Group

TRADING ANNOUNCEMENTS

ITM Power

UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

RICS Housing Market Survey (00:01)

FINAL EX-DIVIDEND DATE

Air Partner, Alfa Financial Software Holdings , Alliance Pharma, Anglo-Eastern Plantations, Aurora Investment Trust, Camellia, Capital Gearing Trust, Charles Stanley Group, Discoverie Group, Downing Strategic Micro-Cap Investment Trust Red, Foresight VCT, Frenkel Topping Group, Investec Non-Red Non-Cum Non-Part Prf Shs, Johnson Matthey, JTC, Judges Scientific, London Security, RHI Magnesita N.V. (DI), Sainsbury (J), SEC Newgate S.P.A. NPV (CDI), Sopheon , WPP