Week ahead: Elections, CPI and employment data in focus

Barring surprises, it appears that it will be all about elections again next week, with the main political parties set to publish their manifestos ahead of the June vote.

"Whether we reach a record high next week could depend on the release of party manifestos. Labour’s leaked proposals to re-nationalise some key British industries lowers the bar for how business-friendly the Conservatives need to be. The Conservatives are scheduled to release theirs on Monday (15th)," said Jasper Lawler, senior market analyst at LCG.

The flow of economic data in the UK will also make for interesting reading, with data on CPI, unemployment and retail sales all scheduled to be released.

Politics will also be high on the agenda across the Channel, with voters in Germany's most populous state, North Rhine-Westphalia, set to head to the polls.

The outcome would be key, Barclays Research told clients, with a result close to current polls possibly indicating that a CDU-led government will remain at the helm in Berlin.

"Electoral results in NRW that are close to the polls could make a CDU-led government, and hence the continuity of Angela Merkel's Chancellorship, more likely," the investment bank said.

Acting as a backdrop, and quite important in their own right given how closely markets are watching data out of China, on Monday investors would be asked to digest figures on fixed asset investment, industrial production and retail sales in that country.

Monday 15 May

INTERIMS
Diploma, Lonmin, TUI AG Reg Shs (DI), Victrex plc

QUARTERLY PAYMENT DATE
Marsh & Mclennan Cos Inc.

Q2
TUI AG Reg Shs (DI)

GMS
Mi-Pay Group

FINALS
Altitude Group, Nex Group , Rhythmone

SPECIAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Savills

AGMS
Fevertree Drinks, Fidelity European Values, Kakuzi Ltd., Maintel Holdings, Microsaic Systems, Midwich Group, React Group

TRADING ANNOUNCEMENTS
Dignity, Lonmin

FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
HGCapital Trust, JPMorgan American Inv Trust, Phoenix Group Holdings (DI), Rotork, Sagicor Financial Corporation Limited (DI), Savills

Tuesday 16 May

INTERIMS
Avon Rubber, CYBG , easyJet, ITE Group, Tharisa (DI), Zytronic

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
Balance of Trade (EU) (10:00)
Building Permits (US) (13:30)
Capacity Utilisation (US) (14:15)
Housing Starts (US) (13:30)
Industrial Production (US) (14:15)

GMS
JZ Capital Partners Ltd

FINALS
BTG, DCC, First Derivatives, NewRiver REIT, Premier Foods, Speedy Hire, Summit Germany Limited, Vodafone Group

SPECIAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Lloyds Banking Group

EGMS
JSC Kazkommertsbank GDR (Reg S), JZ Capital Partners Ltd

AGMS
Aldermore Group, Charles Taylor, Faron Pharmaceuticals Oy (DI), Gulf Marine Services, Impax Environmental Markets, IWG , Merchants Trust, Pittards, Polymetal International, Quarto Group Inc., Rockhopper Exploration, Standard Life, Ubisense Group, Xaar

TRADING ANNOUNCEMENTS
Crest Nicholson Holdings

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

FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Capital & Regional, John Laing Infrastructure Fund Ltd, Lloyds Banking Group, Melrose Industries, Private & Commercial Finance Group, Rathbone Brothers, Wood Group (John)

Q1
Jackpotjoy

Wednesday 17 May

INTERIMS
Brewin Dolphin Holdings, Countryside Properties, Mitchells & Butlers, Patisserie Holdings , Redx Pharma

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
Consumer Price Index (EU) (10:00)
Crude Oil Inventories (US) (15:30)
MBA Mortgage Applications (US) (12:00)

FINALS
British Land Company, C&C Group, JZ Capital Partners Ltd, Sophos Group , SSE, Wincanton

AGMS
Bodycote, BP, Cairn Homes , Cairn Homes , Cenkos Securities, Chesnara, Civitas Social Housing , esure Group, Foxtons Group , Highland Gold Mining Ltd., Indivior, Jupiter Fund Management , Kings Arms Yard VCT, Maven Income & Growth 4 VCT, Meikles Ltd., Menhaden Capital , Ophir Energy, Paddy Power Betfair, Playtech, Premier Oil, Sigmaroc , Tritax Big Box Reit , UBM, Vitec Group, Zegona Communications

TRADING ANNOUNCEMENTS
Synectics

UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
Claimant Count Rate (09:30)

FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Aviva, GKN, Hochschild Mining, OneSavings Bank, Rentokil Initial

Thursday 18 May

INTERIMS
Euromoney Institutional Investor, Marston's, Thomas Cook Group

INTERIM EX-DIVIDEND DATE
Bellway, Cambria Automobiles, Fidelity Special Values, Filta Group Holdings, Numis Corporation, Utilitywise plc

QUARTERLY PAYMENT DATE
Merchants Trust

QUARTERLY EX-DIVIDEND DATE
Blackrock North American Income Trust , M Winkworth, MedicX Fund Ltd., Royal Dutch Shell 'A', Royal Dutch Shell 'B', The Renewables Infrastructure Group Limited, TwentyFour Select Monthly Income Fund Limited

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
Continuing Claims (US) (13:30)
Initial Jobless Claims (US) (13:30)
Wholesale Price Index (GER) (07:00)

FINALS
Burberry Group, Elektron Technology, Experian, Land Securities Group, Mothercare, National Grid, Royal Mail

SPECIAL EX-DIVIDEND DATE
Great Portland Estates

AGMS
Balfour Beatty, Cineworld Group, Crossrider , Damille Investments II Ltd, Great Western Mining Corporation, Gresham House, Hiscox Limited (DI), Instem, JRP Group, Learning Technologies Group , Next, North Midland Construction, PJSC Novorossiysk Commercial Sea Port GDR (Reg S), ProPhotonix (DI), Prudential, S&U, Safestyle UK , Science Group , Staffline Group, Stilo International, Zhejiang Expressway Co 'H' Shares

TRADING ANNOUNCEMENTS
Greggs

UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
Retail Sales (09:30)

FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Chemring Group, Direct Line Insurance Group, Dunedin Enterprise Investment Trust, Ladbrokes Coral Group, Maintel Holdings, Mondi, Quixant

FINAL EX-DIVIDEND DATE
Ascential, BlackRock Emerging Europe, BlackRock Smaller Companies Trust, Cape, Clarkson, Dignity, Elderstreet VCT, Howden Joinery Group, Inchcape, Intertek Group, Keller Group, Non-Standard Finance, North American Income Trust (The), Pagegroup, Provident Financial, Quarto Group Inc., Robert Walters, Robinson, Science Group , St Peter Port Capital Ltd, Tandem Group, Ted Baker, TT Electronics, Witan Pacific Inv Trust

Friday 19 May

INTERIMS
Future, Grainger, LightwaveRF

INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
AB Dynamics, Barratt Developments, Kier Group

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
Current Account (EU) (09:00)
Producer Price Index (GER) (07:00)

GMS
National Grid

SPECIAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Henderson Group, Sherborne Investors (Guernsey) 'B' Limited

AGMS
Acencia Debt Strategies Ltd., Aminex, Asian Growth Properties Ltd Com Shs (DI), Cairn Energy, CPP Group, Cronin Group , Derwent London, Eurocell , Greggs, Hikma Pharmaceuticals, Hunters Property , Hygea VCT, John Laing Infrastructure Fund Ltd, Moss Bros Group, SafeCharge International Group Limited (DI), Volga Gas

TRADING ANNOUNCEMENTS
Close Brothers Group

UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
CBI Industrial Trends Surveys (11:00)

FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
BBA Aviation, Bovis Homes Group, Capital Drilling Ltd. (DI), Costain Group, Fidelity European Values, Gulf Marine Services, Henderson Group, Highland Gold Mining Ltd., IMI, John Laing Group , Kerry Group 'A' Shares, National Express Group, Novae Group, Petrofac Ltd., Prudential, RPS Group, STV Group, Taylor Wimpey, Tyman, Unite Group, Vesuvius, Vitec Group.