Thursday preview: US jobs data, 3i in the spotlight
The focus on Thursday will shift back to the US jobs market as the Department of Labor publishes its latest weekly tally of initial jobless claims.
Across the Channel meanwhile, investors' focus will be on the European Central Bank's monthly bulletin.
On home shores meanwhile, the sole reference on the economic calendar will be the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors house price index for April.
No major economic releases are scheduled in Asia.
On the corporate front, 3i's full year numbers may give investors some insight into how professional managers view the outlook for some of the most hard hit sectors in the current pandemic.
Morgan Stanley expects the private equity and venture capital giant to report 26% quarter-on-quarter drop in net asset value to 653.0p per share, on the back of marking-to-market its portfolio.
To take into account, roughly 60% of the portfolio was exposed to retail, travel and leisure.
The bulk of that exposure, 40%, was derived from discount retailer Action and Morgan Stanley was keen to see 3i management's MTM adjustments.
The broker had marked down its own estimate of Action's value by 40% but said 3i might opt to look past the temporary Covid-19 impact, so its markdown could be less.
Other key areas of focus would be management commentary on the outlook for performance, liquidity and leverage levels, as well as investment/realisation activity in the nearer term.
Thursday 14 May
INTERIMS
Countryside Properties, Grainger, Ten Lifestyle Group , Titon Holdings
INTERIM EX-DIVIDEND DATE
BlackRock Greater Europe Inv Trust, Fidelity Special Values, Menhaden, One Media IP Group
QUARTERLY EX-DIVIDEND DATE
Ediston Property Investment Company, GlaxoSmithKline, Honeywell International Inc., Raven Property Group Limited Cum Red Pref, Royal Dutch Shell 'A', Royal Dutch Shell 'B', The Renewables Infrastructure Group Limited, Unilever
FINALS
Checkit, Minoan Group, Premier Foods, Westminster Group
ANNUAL REPORT
Westminster Group
SPECIAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Ferrexpo
SPECIAL EX-DIVIDEND DATE
Tandem Group
EGMS
Matomy Media Group Limited (DI)
AGMS
AIREA, AIREA, Baillie Gifford Shin Nippon, Cairn Energy, Computacenter, Direct Line Insurance Group, Eurocell , European Assets Trust , Flutter Entertainment, Forterra, Genel Energy, Gresham Technologies, Hiscox Limited (DI), Horizonte Minerals, Just Eat Takeaway.Com N.V. (CDI), Just Group, Next, Pittards, Prudential, Quilter, Safestyle UK , Serco Group, Spire Healthcare Group, Telit Communications, TI Fluid Systems, Triple Point Social Housing Reit
TRADING ANNOUNCEMENTS
Gresham Technologies
FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Capital & Counties Properties , Convatec Group , Moneysupermarket.com Group
FINAL EX-DIVIDEND DATE
Fevertree Drinks, Fundsmith Emerging Equities Trust , Highcroft Investment, Tandem Group
Q1
Arrow Global Group, Bank of Georgia Group, Indivior