Tuesday preview: Brexit talks, Ashtead in the spotlight

Investors' focus on Tuesday will be firmly on the start of a key week of Brexit talks between Brussels and London that may see the pound fall back significantly.

Stateside meanwhile, the National Federation of Independent Business's small business confidence gauge for August is set for release.

Across the Channel, a reading on second quarter euro area gross domestic product is due out, alongside readings for French and German foreign trade in July.

A reading on second quarter GDP is also scheduled for release overnight, in Japan, together with a reading for the country's current account deficit in July.

On the corporate side of things, investors' attention will be trained on Ashtead's first quarter results.

UBS analyst Rory McKenzie estimates that the international equipment rental group will post profits before tax of £186m for the first three months of its financial year.

Revenues for rental growth at its Sunbelt US unit are seen down 10%, alongside a 2% dip in yields and an 8% drop in volumes.

The analyst is expecting a similar performance at the group's Canada operations while in the UK the market was expected to have been tougher.

McKenzie had penciled-in a 30% fall in rental revenues at the company's A-Plant unit.

All told, and with drop-through rates standing at over 70%, his estimates also called for earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation of £531m (consensus: £527m), for earnings per share of 28.0p (consensus: 27.0p).

Tuesday 08 September

INTERIMS

Arix Bioscience , DigitalBox, DP Eurasia N.V. (DI) , Fevertree Drinks, Flowtech Fluidpower, Gaming Realms, International Personal Finance, Luceco , Michelmersh Brick Holdings, Midwich Group, Nucleus Financial Group , President Energy, Property Franchise Group, Ra International Group, STM Group, Surgical Innovations Group

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Balance of Trade (GER) (07:00)

Consumer Credit (US) (20:00)

Current Account (GER) (07:00)

Gross Domestic Product (EU) (10:00)

GMS

Equatorial Palm Oil

FINALS

Alumasc Group, CPL Resources, Mcbride

SPECIAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Lindsell Train Inv Trust

EGMS

NB Global Floating Rate Income Fund Ltd GBP

AGMS

Ashtead Group, Aster Treasury 4.50% GTD Sec Bds 18/12/43, Braveheart Investment Group, Chariot Oil & Gas Ltd., Civitas Social Housing , Hipgnosis Songs Fund Limited NPV, Oxford Instruments, Royal Mail, Smith (DS), XPS Pensions Group

UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Retail Sales (00:01)

FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Lindsell Train Inv Trust

Q1

Ashtead Group