Wednesday preview: Global PMIs, EasyJet in focus

The market spotlight on Wednesday was expected to be on preliminary results for a raft of closely-followed economic surveys on either side of the Atlantic.

First out would S&P Global's euro area factory and services purchasing managers' indices for the month of January at 0900 GMT.

They would be followed at 0930 GMT by the same consultancy's comparable surveys for the UK.

Comparable surveys for the U.S. were also scheduled for release at 1445 GMT.

On the corporate side of things, EasyJet was scheduled to release its first quarter numbers.

Despite the carrier's optimism regarding the outlook for 2024, events in the Middle East had led management to a "modest reappraisal" of the outlook for the first half of the year, said Michael Hewson, chief market analyst at CMC Markets UK.

As well, the company's earnings tended to be weighted towards the back half of the year, the analyst noted.

Wednesday 24 January

INTERIMS

Hargreaves Services, Van Elle Holdings

INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Baltic Classifieds Group, Discoverie Group, Pharos Energy

QUARTERLY PAYMENT DATE

Alpha Real Trust Ltd.

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Crude Oil Inventories (US) (15:30)

MBA Mortgage Applications (US) (12:00)

AGMS

Botswana Diamonds, Henderson Far East Income Ltd., Lowland Investment Co, Pantheon Resources, Tracsis

TRADING ANNOUNCEMENTS

Computacenter, easyJet, Lords Group Trading, Palace Capital , PensionBee Group , Quilter