Wednesday preview: US CPI, Fed meeting minutes in focus

Investors' focus in the middle of the week will be squarely on the latest inflation data due out in the States.

At 1330 BST, the U.S. Department of Labor is expected to report that headline consumer prices rose at a year-on-year pace of 3.5% in March after the 3.2% clip recorded in February.

On a related note, according to MUFG analyst Derek Halpenny, non-farm payrolls data in the U.S. have been boosted by the number of people working more than one job such that "there is good reason for market participants to be sceptical over the sustained strength of the NFP data".

The CPI report will be followed at 1445 BST by the Bank of Canada's monetary policy decision and at 1900 BST by the minutes of the U.S. Federal Open Market Committee's last policy meeting.

Overnight, rate-setters in New Zealand will meet to decide on policy and China's central bank will release money supply and credit statistics covering the month of March.

No major economic releases are scheduled in the UK or euro area.

Wednesday 10 April

INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Wilmington

QUARTERLY PAYMENT DATE

Assura

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Consumer Price Index (US) (13:30)

Crude Oil Inventories (US) (15:30)

FOMC Interest Rate Minutes (US) (19:00)

MBA Mortgage Applications (US) (12:00)

Wholesales Inventories (US) (15:00)

FINALS

Churchill China, Epwin Group, Futura Medical, IQE, M&C Saatchi, Tesco

ANNUAL REPORT

Harworth Group

SPECIAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Primorus Investments

FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria SA