Week ahead: Fed, BoE, ECB and US jobs report in focus

All eyes over the coming week would be on the Federal Reserve's policy meeting and the latest monthly non-farm payrolls report in the US.

Financial markets and most analysts were expecting a further downshift in the pace of rate hikes by the Fed, on Wednesday, to 25 basis points per meeting.

But the central bank was expected to push back on mounting expectations of a pause in tightening in order to limit the recent easing in financial conditions.

Two days later, the Department of Labor's jobs report would help to better to ascertain just how quickly or not labour market conditions were easing - a key consideration for policymakers.

Worth noting, there were some top-ranked analysts - such as Merrill Lynch's Michael Hartnett - who had recently cautioned of the risk that expectations for a pause might finally be dashed.

The fourth quarter employment cost index and the JOLTS report on job openings also held the potential to influence markets, despite their lagged nature.

Against that backdrop, the Bank of England was widely expected to hike official short-term interest rates by 50bp to 4.0%.

However, economists at Barclays Research believed that the Monetary Policy Committee would also steer expectations towards a slower pace of hikes going forwards.

Barclays's forecast was for two more 25bp hikes afterwards with Bank Rate peaking at 4.50% in May.

An avalanche of economic figures were also scheduled for release in the euro area over the course of the week.

They would include a reading for German gross domestic product growth in the fourth quarter, on Monday, and for that same country's labour market in January, on Tuesday.

Come Thursday, the market spotlight would be on the European Central Bank.

Consensus here too was for a 50bp hike in rates to 3.0%, but what would interest investors most would be its guidance for policy over the remainder of the year and for its quantitative tightening.

Not to lose sight of, Chinese investors were set to return from their Lunar New Year break on Monday and might easily be expected to make themselves be heard.

Closely followed surveys of factory activity in the Asian giant were also due out, on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Monday 30 January

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Business Climate Indicator (EU) (10:00)

Consumer Confidence (EU) (10:00)

Economic Sentiment Indicator (EU) (10:00)

GDP (Preliminary) (EU) (07:00)

Industrial Confidence (EU) (10:00)

Service Sentiment (EU) (10:00)

Q3

Larsen and Toubro Ltd. GDS (Reg S)

FINALS

SThree

AGMS

Bluebird Merchant Ventures (DI), Contango Holdings , Hollywood Bowl Group, SkinBioTherapeutics , Webis Holdings

TRADING ANNOUNCEMENTS

Computacenter, DP Eurasia N.V. (DI)

FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Smart (J) & Co.

Tuesday 31 January

INTERIMS

ITM Power, NWF Group

INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Amedeo Air Four Plus Limited Red Ord NPV, Smith (DS)

QUARTERLY PAYMENT DATE

Balanced Commercial Property Trust Limited , CT Private Equity Trust, Middlefield Canadian Income PCC

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Consumer Confidence (US) (15:00)

Employment Cost Index (US) (13:30)

GDP (Preliminary) (EU) (10:00)

House Price Index (US) (14:00)

Import Price Index (GER) (07:00)

Retail Sales (GER) (07:00)

Unemployment Rate (GER) (08:55)

SPECIAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Alternative Liquidity Fund Limited

AGMS

Mobile Streams, Residential Secure Income, Team, Zamaz

TRADING ANNOUNCEMENTS

Diversified Energy Company , Hochschild Mining, Pets at Home Group

UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Consumer Credit (09:30)

M4 Money Supply (09:30)

Mortgage Approvals (09:30)

Nationwide House Price Index (07:00)

FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

BP 8% Cum 1st Prf, BP 9% 2nd Prf, DotDigital Group, Leeds Building Society 13 3/8% Bearing Shares, Lowland Investment Co, Netcall, S and U 31.5% Prf. Cum. Prf 12.5P

Wednesday 01 February

INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Johnson Matthey, Mitie Group, United Utilities Group, Workspace Group

QUARTERLY PAYMENT DATE

Mercantile Investment Trust (The)

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Construction Spending (US) (15:00)

ISM Manufacturing (US) (15:00)

MBA Mortgage Applications (US) (12:00)

PMI Manufacturing (GER) (08:55)

PMI Manufacturing (EU) (09:00)

Unemployment Rate (EU) (10:00)

Q4

GSK, GSK

FINALS

Glencore , Wynnstay Group

AGMS

Baronsmead Second Venture Trust, Baronsmead Venture Trust, Hyve Group, Imperial Brands , Mustang Energy , Premier Miton Group, Renew Holdings, Schroder Asia Pacific Fund

TRADING ANNOUNCEMENTS

Entain, Gem Diamonds Ltd. (DI), Restore, Virgin Money UK, Vodafone Group

UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

BRC Shop Price Index (00:01)

PMI Manufacturing (09:30)

FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Merchants Trust 3.65% Cumulative Preference 1, Witan Investment Trust Plc

Thursday 02 February

INTERIMS

Renishaw

INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

XPS Pensions Group

INTERIM EX-DIVIDEND DATE

Atrato Onsite Energy, DWF Group , IG Group Holdings, Marwyn Value Investors Limited, Totally

QUARTERLY PAYMENT DATE

British American Tobacco

QUARTERLY EX-DIVIDEND DATE

Greencoat Renewables (CDI)

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Balance of Trade (GER) (07:00)

Continuing Claims (US) (13:30)

Factory Orders (US) (15:00)

Gross Domestic Product (EU) (10:00)

Initial Jobless Claims (US) (13:30)

PMI Retail (GER) (07:00)

Q3

Airtel Africa , BT Group, Shell

Q4

OMV Petrom S.A. GDR (REG S)

GMS

Valirx

FINALS

OMV Petrom S.A. GDR (REG S), Shell

SPECIAL EX-DIVIDEND DATE

Hollywood Bowl Group, ICG-Longbow Senior Secured UK Property Debt Investments Ltd

AGMS

Abrdn Equity Income Trust, Agronomics Limited, Alteration Earth, Baillie Gifford European Growth Trust , Hargreave Hale AIM VCT , Hargreave Hale AIM VCT , JPMorgan Indian Investment Trust, Sage Group, Schroder European Real Estate Investment Trust

TRADING ANNOUNCEMENTS

Cranswick, JTC

FINAL EX-DIVIDEND DATE

Baronsmead Second Venture Trust, Baronsmead Venture Trust, Hollywood Bowl Group, Paragon Banking Group, Ramsdens Holdings , Treatt, Watkin Jones

Friday 03 February

INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Bisichi , Dr. Martens , Ferguson, Halma, Jet2, JPMorgan European Discovery Trust, QinetiQ Group, Severfield, Vodafone Group

QUARTERLY PAYMENT DATE

CT UK High Income Trust, CT UK High Income Trust B , TwentyFour Select Monthly Income Fund Limited

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

ISM Services (US) (15:00)

Non-Farm Payrolls (US) (13:30)

PMI Composite (EU) (09:00)

PMI Composite (GER) (08:55)

PMI Composite (US) (14:45)

PMI Services (EU) (09:00)

PMI Services (GER) (08:55)

PMI Services (US) (14:45)

Producer Price Index (EU) (10:00)

Unemployment Rate (US) (13:30)

SPECIAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

B&M European Value Retail S.A. (DI)

AGMS

Catalyst Media Group, Cerillion , Focusrite

UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

PMI Composite (09:30)

PMI Services (09:30)

FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Cardiff Property, Catalyst Media Group, Diploma, JPMorgan Japanese Inv Trust, Topps Tiles