Thursday preview: US inflation, China factory PMI in focus

The focus of Thursday's session will be on US inflation and the country's jobs market.

At 1330 BST, the Department of Commerce is due to release a reading for one of the Fed's preferred gauges of inflation, the price deflator for personal consumption in expenditures covering the month of May.

Due out at the same time are the latest weekly unemployment claims figures, one of the most reliable and high-frequency indicators on the health of the US jobs market.

Next in relevance for financial markets, barring surprises, are likely to be the results of the 'official' factory sector Purchasing Managers' Index for June.

They will be released overnight.

On home shores, at 0700 BST the Office for National Statistics will release a final reading for first quarter gross domestic product.

In parallel, mortgage lender Nationwide will publish the results of its house price index for June.

Consensus is for a small dip in the annual rate of house price inflation from May's 11.2% to 10.9% in June.

Meanwhile, in the euro area, investors will be reacting to preliminary CPI data out of France and Portugal, the latest data on German retail sales and unemployment, and for the jobless rate across the single-currency bloc.

Thursday 30 June

INTERIMS

PCF Group, PCF Group

INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Antofagasta 5% Cum Prf, Aviva 8 3/4% Cumulative Irrd Preference 1, Brunner Investment 5% Prf, Cardiff Property, Croda International 5.9% Cumulative Preference 1, Croda International 6.6% Cumulative Preference 1, Ecclesiastical Insurance 8.625% Non-Cum Irr Pref Shares, Foresight Enterprise VCT , IntegraFin Holding, REA Holdings 9% Cum. Prf. #1, Rotork 9.5% Cum Prf. #1, Watkin Jones

INTERIM EX-DIVIDEND DATE

BP 8% Cum 1st Prf, BP 9% 2nd Prf, Hargreave Hale AIM VCT , Treatt

QUARTERLY PAYMENT DATE

BlackRock World Mining Trust, Diversified Energy Company , Downing Renewables & Infrastructure Trust, Ediston Property Investment Company, HICL Infrastructure , NextEnergy Solar Fund Limited Red, Premier Miton Global Renewables Trust, The Renewables Infrastructure Group Limited

QUARTERLY EX-DIVIDEND DATE

Duke Royalty Limited, Real Estate Investors

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Chicago PMI (US) (14:45)

Continuing Claims (US) (13:30)

Import Price Index (GER) (07:00)

Initial Jobless Claims (US) (13:30)

Personal Consumption Expenditures (US) (13:30)

Personal Income (US) (13:30)

Personal Spending (US) (13:30)

Retail Sales (GER) (07:00)

Unemployment Rate (EU) (10:00)

Unemployment Rate (GER) (08:55)

Q3

Renalytix (Reg S)

FINALS

Accsys Technologies, Cadence Minerals, Civitas Social Housing , Grand Vision Media Holdings , Polar Capital Holdings, SDCL Energy Efficiency Income Trust, Seen, Shefa Gems Ltd (DI)

SPECIAL EX-DIVIDEND DATE

Caledonia Investments, NB Distressed Debt Investment Fund Limited Ext Shs, NB Distressed Debt Investment Fund Limited Red Ord, Record, Thinksmart Limited (DI)

EGMS

Solgold

AGMS

Ashtead Technology Holdings, Caspian Sunrise , Cobra Resources, Comptoir Group, Crimson Tide, ECSC Group, Evraz, First Tin, Gresham House Energy Storage Fund, GRIT Investment Trust, Gulf Marine Services, Gusbourne, Hamak Gold Limited NPV (DI), Hemogenyx Pharmaceuticals , Immotion Group, Inspiration Healthcare Group , Inspired, Jadestone Energy, Kanabo Group, KEFI Gold and Copper , Kropz , Likewise Group, Live Company Group, Location Sciences Group, Loopup Group , M&C Saatchi, Microsaic Systems, New Century AIM VCT 2, Nostra Terra Oil & Gas Co, Pathfinder Minerals , PJSC Gazprom Level 1 ADS, PJSC Magnitogorsk Iron & Steel Works GDR (Reg S), Playtech, Primorus Investments, Rockfire Resources, Roquefort Therapeutics, Sanne Group, Savannah Energy, Scottish Mortgage Inv Trust, Serica Energy, Supply@Me Capital , Supply@Me Capital , Surface Transforms, Synairgen, Tower Resources, Trainline, Valirx, Victoria Oil & Gas, X5 Retail Group NV GDR (Reg S)

UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Current Account (07:00)

Gross Domestic Product (07:00)

Nationwide House Price Index (07:00)

FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

IP Group, James Halstead 5.5% Cumulative Preference 1, Kakuzi Ltd., Spectris, Tandem Group, Zhejiang Expressway Co 'H' Shares

FINAL EX-DIVIDEND DATE

Anglo Asian Mining, B&M European Value Retail S.A. (DI), B.P. Marsh & Partners, Burberry Group, Calculus VCT , Caledonia Investments, Flowtech Fluidpower, iEnergizer Ltd., Inspiration Healthcare Group , Learning Technologies Group , Palace Capital , Panther Securities, Pittards, Premier Foods, Record, Robinson, Serica Energy, Skillcast Group, STM Group, Tate & Lyle, Templeton Emerging Markets Inv Trust, The Global Smaller Companies Trust, Value and Indexed Property Income Trust, Vertu Motors, Wentworth Resources NPV, Wynnstay Properties