Thursday preview: US inflation, Fedspeak still in focus

US inflation data and Fedspeak will continue to be in the spotlight on Thursday.

At 1330 GMT, the Department of Labor will publish producer price data for December.

It will be followed at 1500 GMT by Fed Governor Lael Brainard´s nomination hearing as Fed vice-president before the Senate Banking Committee.

Speeches from Richmond Fed boss Thomas Barkin, and his opposite number at the Chicago Fed will follow at 1700 GMT and 1800 GMT, respectively.

Across the Channel meanwhile, at 1030 GMT, European Central Bank vice-president, Luis de Guindos, is due to participate in a question and answer event organised by UBS.

Also due out, at 1230 GMT, are the minutes of the ECB's last policy meeting.

On home shores meanwhile, the lone economic indicator scheduled for release is the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors' house price balance for December.

Further afield, in Japan, the country's central bank will publish M2 and M3 money supply figures for the month of December.

On the corporate side of things, Tesco will update investors on third quarter trading. Michael Hewson, chief market analyst at CMC Markets UK, expects the grocer's pre-Christmas numbers will be "solid, if last week’s Kantar data is any guide, which showed grocery sales fell 0.9% compared to 2020 levels.

"This compared favourably to much bigger declines in the likes of Sainsbury, which saw sales fall by 4.4%, compared to a year ago, although last year's comparatives need to be set in the context of large swathes of the country being in lockdown, which helped boost the numbers."

Thursday 13 January

INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Michelmersh Brick Holdings

INTERIM EX-DIVIDEND DATE

Amedeo Air Four Plus Limited Red Ord NPV, Ashtead Group, Creightons, Crystal Amber Fund Ltd., Dr. Martens , Livermore Investments Group Ltd., Morses Club , SSE

QUARTERLY PAYMENT DATE

GlaxoSmithKline

QUARTERLY EX-DIVIDEND DATE

BlackRock Latin American Inv Trust, BMO Commercial Property Trust Limited, JPMorgan Asia Growth & Income, JPMorgan Japan Small Cap Growth & Income, Middlefield Canadian Income PCC, Primary Health Properties

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Continuing Claims (US) (13:30)

Initial Jobless Claims (US) (13:30)

Producer Price Index (US) (13:30)

GMS

Angus Energy , KEFI Gold and Copper

SPECIAL EX-DIVIDEND DATE

Next

AGMS

Fragrant Prosperity Holdings Limited (DI), JPMorgan Japanese Inv Trust

TRADING ANNOUNCEMENTS

Dunelm Group, Halfords Group, Hilton Food Group, Marks & Spencer Group, Persimmon, Taylor Wimpey, Tesco, Wood Group (John)

UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

RICS Housing Market Survey (00:01)

FINAL EX-DIVIDEND DATE

Character Group, DotDigital Group, Future, Gulf Investment Fund, Leeds Building Society 13 3/8% Bearing Shares, Majedie Investments, Origin Enterprises (CDI), Premier Miton Group, Sage Group, Schroder UK Mid Cap Fund, Scottish Inv Trust, Shaftesbury, Smiths News