Tuesday preview: Chinese manufacturing, B&M Retail in the spotlight

The focus in financial markets at the end of May will be on the results of an 'official' survey on manufacturing sector conditions in China for the month of May.

Against that backdrop, at 0700 GMT the Office for National Statistics will publish consumer credit and mortgage lending figures for April.

Across the Channel meanwhile, all eyes will be on a 'flash' estimate for euro area consumer prices in May which is expected to reveal a record pace of increase of 7.7% year-on-year.

Investors will also be scrutinising detailed final readings for first first quarter gross domestic growth in Belgium, Finland, France, Italy, and Portugal.

Stateside, a batch of second-tier economic reports are due out with the market spotlight likely to be on house price surveys for March from the Federal Housing Finance Agency and S&P.

For B&M Retail's full-year results, UBS analyst Sreedhar Mahamkali has penciled-in a 6-8% drop in like-for-like sales while total revenues are seen coming in little changed at £4.8bn.

The variety retailer's adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation are expected to dip from £626m one year before to £615m on a pre-IFRS 16 basis.

B&M's own guidance is for adjusted EBITDA of £605-625m.

Tuesday 31 May

INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Royal Bank of Scotland 11% Cum. Prf, Royal Bank of Scotland 5.5% Cum. Prf.

QUARTERLY PAYMENT DATE

City of London Inv Trust, Custodian Reit , Ediston Property Investment Company, Picton Property Income Ltd

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Chicago PMI (US) (14:45)

Consumer Confidence (US) (15:00)

House Price Index (US) (14:00)

Unemployment Rate (GER) (08:55)

FINALS

B&M European Value Retail S.A. (DI), Pennon Group

ANNUAL REPORT

GETECH Group

SPECIAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Sportech

AGMS

Aeci 5 1/2% Prf, Billington Holdings, Curzon Energy, GYG, Lookers, McColl's Retail Group , Microlise Group, Pagegroup, Petershill Partners , Sportech, Tekcapital

UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Consumer Credit (09:30)

M4 Money Supply (09:30)

Mortgage Approvals (09:30)

Nationwide House Price Index (07:00)

FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

4Imprint Group, Anglo Pacific Group, Holders Technology, LLoyds Banking Group 9.25% Non-Cum Irredeemable Pref Shares, LLoyds Banking Group 9.75% Non-Cum Irredeemable Pref Shares, Sampo OYJ