Week ahead: China and Iran in focus again

A steady stream of important economic indicators next week in almost all jurisdictions could be expected to keep investors and traders on their toes.

To begin with, the possibility existed that over the weekend the International Atomic Energy Agency would ‘sign-off’ on the lifting of nuclear sanctions against Iran. That could pave the way for Iranian crude oil exports to start returning to international markets as soon as Monday.

The following day analysts would be on China-watch, with figures on gross domestic product, industrial production and retail sales all scheduled for release in Asia’s largest economy.

It was against that backdrop that investors in sterling assets would be asked to assess the most recent inflation and unemployment numbers in the UK, for the month of December.

In the Eurozone, all eyes would be trained on the European Central Bank’s policy meeting on Thursday. If monetary policymakers in Euroland did not see a need for more stimulus when they met on 3 December, how about now?

According to the minutes of their last meeting, released on 14 January, many rate-setters at the ECB seemed to prefer to wait and give time for the effects of their latest measures to filtre through.

So-called ‘flash’ or preliminary manufacturing and service sector purchasing managers’ surveys in the Eurozone for January, on Friday, also held the potential to move markets.

Stateside, Wednesday’s print on December consumer prices would the most closely watched event, followed by the Federal Reserve bank of Philadelphia’s manufacturing sector index, on Thursday.

Monday 18 January

EGMS
eServGlobal Limited (DI)

AGMS
Aquarius Platinum Ld

FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Barloworld Ltd.

Tuesday 19 January

INTERIMS
IG Group Holdings

INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
International Greetings

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
Balance of Payments (EU) (09:00)
Consumer Price Index (GER) (07:00)
Current Account (EU) (09:00)
ZEW Survey (EU) (10:00)

Q4
Bank of America Corp.

FINALS
Bank of America Corp., Unilever

TRADING ANNOUNCEMENTS
Acacia Mining, BHP Billiton, Cairn Energy, Etalon Group Ltd GDR (Reg S), Evraz, Synety Group

UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
Consumer Price Index (09:30)
Producer Price Index (09:30)
Retail Price Index (09:30)

Wednesday 20 January

INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Charles Stanley Group, Sirius Real Estate Ltd.

QUARTERLY PAYMENT DATE
Assura

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
Consumer Price Index (US) (13:30)
Crude Oil Inventories (US) (15:30)
Housing Starts (US) (13:30)
MBA Mortgage Applications (US) (12:00)
Producer Price Index (GER) (07:00)
ZEW Survey (GER) (10:00)

FINALS
Redx Pharma

AGMS
Diploma, Lowland Investment Co, Majedie Investments, Majedie Investments, Retail Charity Bonds Gldn Lne Hsing 4.375% Bds 29/07/21, Standard Life European Private Equity Trust

TRADING ANNOUNCEMENTS
Pets at Home Group , Wetherspoon (J.D.), WH Smith

UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
Claimant Count Rate (09:30)
Unemployment Rate (09:30)

FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Hargreave Hale AIM VCT 1

Thursday 21 January

INTERIMS
NCC Group

INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Home Retail Group

INTERIM EX-DIVIDEND DATE
Alcentra Euorpean Floating Rate Income Fund Ltd Red Ord Shs, Coral Products, Ediston Property Investment Company, Fletcher King, GCP Infrastructure Investments Ltd, SSE, Supergroup

QUARTERLY EX-DIVIDEND DATE
GCP Infrastructure Investments Ltd, Twentyfour Income Fund Limited Ord Red

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
Consumer Price Index (EU) (10:00)
Continuing Claims (US) (13:30)
ECB Interest Rate (EU) (12:45)
Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices (EU) (10:00)
Initial Jobless Claims (US) (13:30)

GMS
Fusionex International, Styles & Wood Group

FINALS
Fusionex International, Safestore Holdings

IMSS
Land Securities Group

SPECIAL EX-DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Dewhurst, Dewhurst (Non-Voting)

AGMS
Cardiff Property, easyHotel, Keystone Inv Trust, Stride Gaming

TRADING ANNOUNCEMENTS
British Land Company, Halfords Group, Laird, Royal Mail, SABMiller, St James's Place

UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
RICS Housing Market Survey (09:30)

FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Cambria Automobiles

FINAL EX-DIVIDEND DATE
Compass Group, Dewhurst, Dewhurst (Non-Voting), Electra Private Equity, Henderson Alternative Strategies Trust , Shaftesbury

Friday 22 January

INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Berkeley Group Holdings (The), Bonmarche Holdings, Burberry Group, Dixons Carphone , Fulcrum Utility Services Ltd. (DI), Gateley (Holdings) , Greene King, Halfords Group, Micro Focus International, United Carpets Group, Vertu Motors

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
Existing Home Sales (US) (15:00)
Leading Indicators (US) (15:00)
PMI Construction (GER) (08:55)

ANNUAL REPORT
Titon Holdings

IMSS
Workspace Group

SPECIAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
M Winkworth, Marwyn Value Investors Limited

AGMS
Character Group, Tracsis

TRADING ANNOUNCEMENTS
Close Brothers Group, Computacenter, Oxford Instruments, Record, Workspace Group

UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
Internet Retail Sales (09:30)
Public Sector Finances (09:30)
Retail Sales (09:30)

FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Debenhams, Inland Homes, Scottish Oriental Smaller Companies Trust