Wednesday preview: Housing industry data in UK and US in focus

The market is set to face another quiet session on Wednesday with many traders still on hiatus for Christmas.

There will be little in the way of economic data or company results, apart from a report on UK house prices in the morning and US data in the afternoon.

Ahead of the opening bell, Nationwide releases its report on December house prices which is expected to show a 0.4% increase from a month ago and a 3.8% increase from a year ago. It follows a report from Haart on Tuesday which said there has been an surge in buy-to-let investors ahead of higher stamp duty charges to be introduced on 1 April.

In the US, a report on mortgage applications for the week to 25 December will be published along with figures on pending home sales which is forecast to reveal a 3.6% increase in November compared to a year ago and a 0.6% gain compared to October.

Wednesday 30 December

AGMs

SimiGon Ltd. (DI)

Minds + Machines Group Limited (DI)

Webis Holdings

Vertu Capital Limited (DI)

K&C Reit

EGMs

Lead All Investments Ltd (DI)

FBD Holdings

Annual Report

African Potash Ltd

Final Dividend Payment

DFS Furniture

Interim Dividend Payment Date

Keystone Inv Trust

Acorn Income Fund Ld

Palace Capital

Juridica Investments Ltd.

DFS Furniture

Temple Bar Inv Trust

Helical Bar

GLI Alternative Finance

International Economic Announcements

Balance of Payments (GER) (07:00)

M3 Money Supply (EU) (09:00)

MBA Mortgage Applications (US) (12:00)

Pending Homes Sales (US) (15:00)

Crude Oil Inventories (US) (15:30)