Tuesday preview: Ukraine-Russia crisis, HSBC in the spotlight

Geopolitics will continue to be front and centre after Moscow announced overnight its decision to recognise the independence of Ukraine's two breakaway republics and to deploy 'peacekeepers.

On home shores, at 0700 GMT the Office for National Statistics will publish public sector net borrowing data for the month of January.

They will be followed by the Confederation of British Industry's Industrial Trends index for February at 1100 GMT.

Across the Channel, the spotlight will be on the IFO institute's business confidence index for the month of February.

Stateside, investors' focus will be on the results of house price surveys for December from the Federal Housing Finance Agency and S&P/Case Shiller, both at 1400 GMT.

HSBC will be in the spotlight on the company side of things.

UBS analyst Jason Napier has penciled-in a 77% jump in the lender's underlying profit before tax for thr fourth quarter to reach $3.92bn.

Net interest income however was seen slipping 2% year-on-year, albeit alongside a 6% drop in costs.

The quarterly dividend payout was seen at 18 US cents together with a $2.5bn share buyback.

Tuesday 22 February

INTERIMS

Blancco Technology Group, Bluefield Solar Income Fund Limited, Hargreaves Lansdown, Oxford Cannabinoid Technologies Holdings, Petra Diamonds Ltd.(DI), Springfield Properties

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Consumer Confidence (US) (15:00)

IFO Business Climate (GER) (09:00)

IFO Current Assessment (GER) (09:00)

IFO Expectations (GER) (09:00)

Q4

Smith & Nephew

GMS

Playtech

FINALS

Antofagasta, Bank of Georgia Group, Coca-Cola HBC AG (CDI), HSBC Holdings, InterContinental Hotels Group, Smith & Nephew, Synectics, Thungela Resources Limited NPV (DI)

ANNUAL REPORT

HSBC Holdings

AGMS

Aberdeen Diversified Income and Growth Trust , Image Scan Holdings

UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Public Sector Net Borrowing (07:00)