Wednesday preview: Fed Beige Book, Rio Tinto in the spotlight

The market spotlight in the middle of the week will be on the US central bank as its next policy meeting starts to come into view.

The Federal Reserve will publish the Beige Book, its compendium of anecdotal evidence from across the country, after the close of trading in London.

It will help inform policymakers's decisions when they net meet on 3-4 May, when they may go ahead and hike official short-term interest rates by 50 basis points.

Across the Channel, German producer price data for March may make for interesting reading given the current inflationary pressures in the wake of the war in Ukraine.

Also due out are readings on euro area foreign trade and industrial production covering the month of February.

On the corporate side of things, Rio Tinto will post its first quarter numbers, which are expected to show that the outfit is continuing to benefit from high commodity prices.

However, investors are likely to prod the outfit for greater detail on its plans to reduce indirect emissions, said Michael Hewson, chief market analyst at CMC Markets UK.

Across the Pond meanwhile, Tesla is also due out with quarterly results.

Wednesday 20 April

INTERIMS

Carr's Group

INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Ince Group (The)

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Balance of Trade (EU) (10:00)

Crude Oil Inventories (US) (15:30)

Existing Home Sales (US) (15:00)

Industrial Production (EU) (10:00)

MBA Mortgage Applications (US) (12:00)

Producer Price Index (GER) (07:00)

GMS

Fondul Proprietatea S.A. GDR (Reg S), Societatea Energetica Electrica SA GDR (Reg S)

FINALS

Oxford Biomedica, Wood Group (John)

EGMS

Fondul Proprietatea S.A. GDR (Reg S), Societatea Energetica Electrica SA GDR (Reg S)

AGMS

Biome Technologies, Biome Technologies, Bunzl, Hunting, SThree, Synectics

TRADING ANNOUNCEMENTS

Antofagasta, Bunzl, Naked Wines, Petra Diamonds Ltd.(DI), Rio Tinto

Q1

Centamin (DI)