Wednesday preview: UK CPI, Whitbread in focus

Investors' focus in the middle of the week was likely to be on the latest UK consumer price data.

Consensus was for a dip in the annual rate of headline CPI from 6.7% for August to 6.5% in September.

Ahead of the release, overnight China's National Bureau of Statistics would release a barrage of reports covering third quarter gross domestic product growth, as well as fixed asset investment, industrial production and retail sales in September.

In the States meanwhile, at least five top Federal Reserve officials were scheduled to deliver remarks throughout the afternoon.

At 1330 BST, the Department of Commerce would publish housing starts figures for September and the Federal Reserve was due to release its Beige Book at 1900 BST.

On the corporate side of things, Whitbread's half-year figures would be in focus.

The Premier Inn owner was expected to report £1.5bn in revenues with revenue, according to Michael Hewson, chief market analyst at CMC Markets UK.

Occupancy rates on the German side of the business were pegged to hit 68% and 84% in the UK.

Forward bookings had been trending well ahead of the previous year, Hewson said, but more recently concerns around the impact that inflation might have had dragged on the share price.

Wednesday 18 October

INTERIMS

Whitbread

TRADING ANNOUNCEMENTS

SEGRO, Quilter, Liontrust Asset Management, RHI Magnesita N.V. (DI)

AGMs

Ashmore Group, Barratt Developments

INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Harbour Energy

UK ECONOMIC ANNNOUNCEMENTS

Producer Price Index (07:00)

Retail Price Index (07:00)

Consumer Price Index (07:00)

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNNOUNCEMENTS

Consumer Price Index (EU) (10:00)

MBA Mortgage Applications (US) (12:00)

Building Permits (US) (13:30)

Housing Starts (US) (13:30)

Crude Oil Inventories (US) (15:30)