Tuesday preview: Middle East, Goldman Sachs in the spotlight

Financial markets' focus on Tuesday will no doubt continue to be on the conflict between Israel and Hamas in the Middle East.

Against that backdrop, at 0700 BST the Office for National Statistics will publish its employment report for the month of August.

Later in the day, investors' attention will shift to the U.S., where at 1330 BST the Department of Commerce is scheduled to release retail sales figures for September.

Worth noting, the head of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, John Williams, and Fed governor Michele Bowman are both due to deliver remarks.

Over the course of the week at least ten different top Fed officials are scheduled to speak.

In the single currency bloc, at 1000 BST the ZEW institute will publish its economic confidence index for Germany covering the month of October.

On the corporate side of things, Goldman Sachs will report third quarter earnings.

The lender is expected to post earnings per share of $6.35, including a 19 cent per share charge linked to the sale of its private equity group.

Tuesday 17 October

FINALS

Bellway, Seraphim Space Investment Trust, Nanoco Group

Abingdon Health, Revolution Bars Group

INTERIMS

Smartspace Software

TRADING ANNOUNCEMENTS

IntegraFin Holding, Rio Tinto, Jupiter Fund Management

AGMs

Diverse Income Trust (The)

Gateley (Holdings)

INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

EPWIN GROUP

SPECIAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

DWF Group

UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCENENTS

Claimant Count Rate (07:00)

Unemployment Rate (07:00)

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Consumer Price Index (GER) (07:00)

ZEW Survey (GER) - Current Situation (10:00)

ZEW Survey (EU) - Economic Sentiment (10:00)

ZEW Survey (GER) - Economic Sentiment (10:00)

Retail Sales Less Autos (US) (13:30)

Capacity Utilisation (US) (14:15)

Industrial Production (US) (14:15)

Business Inventories (US) (15:00)