Wednesday preview: Fed's Powell, global PMIs in focus

The focus over the coming week will continue to be on the Federal Reserve as its chairman, Jerome Powell, testifies before the US House of Representative's panel on Covid-19.

IHS Markit's 'flash' or preliminary Purchasing Managers' Indices for US manufacturing and services in September are also due out and will provide a timely update on the pace of the economic recovery.

The same survey compiler is also due to release its closely-followed PMIs for euro area and UK.

A reading on the so-called composite PMI for both sectors in the Eurozone is expected to improve marginally, from a reading of 51.0 for August to 52.0 in September.

However, analysts at Barclays are a expecting a mild negative surprise on the reading for the composite PMI to 50.9, as the rebound in factory activity normalises and the "worsening epidemiological picture [...] particularly in France and Spain" weighs on services.

For the UK, consensus anticipates a drop in the PMI from a string print for August 59.1 to 56.3.

Further afield, rate-setters in New Zealand are scheduled to meet to decide on monetary policy.

Wednesday 23 September

INTERIMS

Cloudcall Group, ECSC Group, Equals Group , Loopup Group , Staffline Group, Strix Group , Ten Entertainment Group , The Mission Group, Warpaint London , Xeros Technology Group

INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Anexo Group , Property Franchise Group

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Crude Oil Inventories (US) (15:30)

House Price Index (US) (14:00)

Import Price Index (GER) (07:00)

MBA Mortgage Applications (US) (12:00)

GMS

Salt Lake Potash Limited (DI)

FINALS

Allergy Therapeutics, PZ Cussons

AGMS

Aberdeen New India Investment Trust, Aberdeen New India Investment Trust, Alpha Financial Markets Consulting, City Merchants High Yield Trust, Collagen Solutions, Dillistone Group, Downing Three VCT F Shs, Downing Two VCT F Shs , First Property Group, Fulcrum Utility Services Ltd. (DI), Hornby, Joules Group, Mothercare, Reabold Resources, Real Good Food , SDI Group , Tavistock Investments, Twentyfour Income Fund Limited Ord Red, Zoo Digital Group

FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Blue Planet Investment Trust, Solid State