Week ahead: EU council meeting to kick-off countdown to referendum

European affairs will matter more than ever in the coming week, with investors and even the average man on the street expected to keep close tabs on the outcome of the European Council meeting on 17-18 February, in Brussels.

Should European Union heads of state agree to EU council president Donald Tusk's draft proposal for the UK to remain inside the EU club then that would kick-off the countdown for the UK's referendum on membership, which was likely to be called for 23 June as long as an agreement between Cameron and EU leaders was forthcoming before 3 March, Morgan Stanley said in a research note e-mailed to clients.

Against that backdrop, all eyes at the start of the week would be focused on how Chinese investors reacted to this past week's ructions in global capital markets and on the Peoples Bank of China's daly fixing for the country's currency - although at least for the present recent US dollar weakness might have forestalled any urge on the part of Beijing to weaken the yuan against the Greenback.

Also on Monday, investors would need to digest the latest international trade figures for China, which would be followed by data on consumer prices in Asia's largest economy on Thursday.

After last week's sharp strengthening in the Japanese yen, data on that country's gross domestic product, on Sunday, 14 February, and industrial production, on the Monday afterwards, would likely also attract more attention than usual.

European Council aside, UK investors would be watching out for the latest UK employment report which was scheduled for release on Wednesday and data on public finances, on Friday.

In the US, the main releases to watch for were the minutes of the US Fed's last policy meeting, which were expected out on Wednesday, Thursday's Philly Fed manufacturing index and lastly, come Friday, figures on consumer prices referencing the month of January.

Monday 15 February

INTERIMS
City of London Investment Group

Q4
OJSC Magnitogorsk Iron & Steel Works GDR (Reg S)

FINALS
Amino Technologies, Fidessa Group, Hammerson, OJSC Magnitogorsk Iron & Steel Works GDR (Reg S), Societatea Nationala De Gaze Naturale Romgaz S.A. GDR (Reg S)

SPECIAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Independent Inv Trust

FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Income & Growth VCT , Paragon Group Of Companies

Tuesday 16 February

INTERIMS
A&J Mucklow Group, Filtronic, Hargreaves Services

QUARTERLY EX-DIVIDEND DATE
Schlumberger Ltd.

FINALS
Afarak Group (DI), Anglo American, Spectris

AGMS
MedicX Fund Ltd.

Wednesday 17 February

INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Redcentric

Q4
Norsk Hydro ASA

FINALS
Norsk Hydro ASA, Plus500 Ltd (DI)

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

AGMS
Pressure Technologies, Titon Holdings

FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Dewhurst, Dewhurst (Non-Voting)

Thursday 18 February

INTERIMS
Go-Ahead Group

INTERIM EX-DIVIDEND DATE
Ideagen, Ludgate Environmental Fund Ltd., Mountview Estates, Penna Consulting, Redrow

QUARTERLY EX-DIVIDEND DATE
Carnival, GlaxoSmithKline, M Winkworth, MedicX Fund Ltd., Raven Russia Ltd. Cum Red Pref Shares, Royal Dutch Shell 'A', Royal Dutch Shell 'B', UIL Limited (DI)

Q4
TBC Bank Joint Stock Company GDR (REGS)

FINALS
BAE Systems, Centrica, Indivior

SPECIAL EX-DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
32Red, GlaxoSmithKline

EGMS
BH Macro Ltd. GBP Shares

AGMS
Blackrock North American Income Trust , Sunrise Resources , Tertiary Minerals

FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Cardiff Property

FINAL EX-DIVIDEND DATE
Avon Rubber, Brewin Dolphin Holdings, Jersey Electricity 'A' Shares, Pressure Technologies, SSP Group , ULS Technology

Friday 19 February

INTERIMS
DX (Group)

INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Fletcher King

QUARTERLY PAYMENT DATE
NB Global Floating Rate Income Fund Ltd GBP, NB Global Floating Rate Income Fund Ltd USD

FINALS
Coca-Cola HBC AG (CDI), SEGRO, Standard Life

ANNUAL REPORT
Independent Inv Trust

FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Blackrock Frontiers Investment Trust, Numis Corporation, Oxford Technology 2 VCT, Oxford Technology 3 VCT, Titon Holdings, UDG Healthcare Public Limited Company, Unicorn AIM VCT , Urban&Civic , Victrex plc