Tuesday preview: BoJ, BP in the spotlight

Financial markets' focus on Tuesday will be on the Bank of Japan as its top officials meet to decide on monetary policy.

Some recent market chatter suggested that rate-setters might tweak their policy of yield curve control.

Also overnight, China's National Bureau of Statistics will publish surveys for the country's factory and services sector covering the month of October.

In the euro area, at 1000 GMT Eurostat will publish preliminary data for consumer prices in October.

The consensus forecast from economists was for a drop in the headline rate of increase from 4.3% in September to 3.2% in October.

Stateside the potentially most market-moving report will be the Employment Cost Index for the third quarter.

No major economic reports are scheduled to be published in the UK.

On the corporate side of things, oil major BP was scheduled to publish its third quarter results.

The company had previously guided towards flat third quarter upstream production in comparison to the previous three months.

Oil and gas output were both seen lower while that from lower carbon energy was seen higher.

But the reason why the shares had underperformed rival Shell's likely had more to do with the recent forced change in leadership at the company, alongside the resignation a few weeks later of its US head, said Michael Hewson, chief market analyst at CMC Markets UK.

"This uncertainty at the top of the UK’s second biggest oil company perhaps helps explain why BP’s share price has underperformed, while the jury remains out as to whether any new CEO will persevere with the “Performing while Transforming” of Bernard Looney."

Tuesday 31 October

FINALS

Up Global Sourcing Holdings, Essensys

Q3

BP, NCC Group, Georgia Capital

TRADING ANNOUNCEMENTS

Coca-Cola HBC AG (CDI), TP Icap Group

AGMs

Newmark Security PLC, Tlou Energy Limited (DI), City of London Inv Trust, Real Good Food, Indus Gas Ltd., New Energy One Acquisition Corporation, Bowen Fintech

GMs

Gail (India) Ltd GDR (Reg S)

FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

FIH Group

INTERIM EX-DIVIDEND DATE

Banco Santander S.A.

INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Ediston Property Investment Company, Amedeo Air Four Plus Limited Red Ord NPV, European Assets Trust, Life Science REIT, Wynnstay Group, Troy Income & Growth Trust. Balanced Commercial Property Trust Limited, Lowland Investment Co, Kings Arms Yard VCT

QUARTERLY PAYMENT DATE

CT Private Equity Trust

UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

BRC Shop Price Index (00:01)

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Import Price Index (GER) (07:00)

Retail Sales (GER) (07:00)

GDP (Preliminary) (EU) (10:00)

Employment Cost Index (US) (12:30)

House Price Index (US) (13:00)

Chicago PMI (US) (13:45)

Consumer Confidence (US) (14:00)