Week ahead: Fed decision, US and euro area GDP in focus

Investors' focus over the coming week will be squarely on the US central bank's policy decision on Wednesday.

No change in policy is anticipated at this stage, nor are any signals that change is afoot, some economists, such as those at Barclays Research, believe that the rate-setters will become incrementally more hawkish in their assessment of the balance of risks.

Financial markets will also be waiting on preliminary readings for gross domestic product in the US and euro area, on Thursday and Friday.

Economic growth in the US is expected to have accelerated from an annualised pace of 6.4% in the first quarter to 8.3% in the second.

Meanwhile, in the Eurozone, GDP is projected to have rebounded at a quarter-on-quarter pace of 1.5% following a dip of 0.3% over the three months to June.

On home shores, consumer credit and lending for June are due out on Thursday.

On the corporate side of things meanwhile, things are set to really heat up, with half of US and European corporates set to update investors over the incoming week.

Among the firms due to publish their latest quarterly accounts are Barclays, Lloyds and NatWest in the latter half of the week, preceded by US tech giants Apple, Tesla and Microsoft in the front half.

Monday 26 July

INTERIMS

Science Group

QUARTERLY PAYMENT DATE

General Electric Co (CDI)

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Import Price Index (GER) (07:00)

New Homes Sales (US) (15:00)

AGMS

Cranswick, Deepverge Plc , Gresham House Strategic , National Grid, Oakley Capital Investments Ltd. (DI), Tinybuild Inc. (DI) (Reg s, CAT 3)

TRADING ANNOUNCEMENTS

Cranswick

FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Helical, Inspired

Tuesday 27 July

INTERIMS

Ascential, Capital & Counties Properties , Croda International, International Personal Finance, Kitwave Group, Reach, Restore, Sabre Insurance Group, Unite Group, Vivo Energy

QUARTERLY PAYMENT DATE

Yew Grove Reit (CDI)

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Consumer Confidence (US) (15:00)

Durable Goods Orders (US) (13:30)

House Price Index (US) (14:00)

M3 Money Supply (EU) (09:00)

FINALS

Cohort, Foresight Group Holdings Limited NPV, Games Workshop Group, In the Style Group, Ince Group (The), Moonpig Group

ANNUAL REPORT

Games Workshop Group

EGMS

SDIC Power Holdings Co.,Ltd GDR (Reg S)

AGMS

Arkle Resources (CDI), BMO UK High Income Trust , Hibernia Reit (CDI), Mediclinic International , Mitie Group, Motorpoint Group, MyCelx Technologies Corporation (DI), NewRiver REIT, OnTheMarket, Petrel Resources (CDI), Prospex Energy , Record, TR Property Inv Trust, Vodafone Group, Wizz Air Holdings , Zoltav Resources Inc (DI)

TRADING ANNOUNCEMENTS

Greencore Group (CDI), Mitie Group, Virgin Money UK

FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Fidelity China Special Situations , Wynnstay Properties

Wednesday 28 July

INTERIMS

Aptitude Software Group , Barclays, British American Tobacco, Conduit Holdings Limited Com Shs (DI), Getbusy, HUTCHMED (China) Limited, MusicMagpie, Primary Health Properties, Quartix Technologies, Rathbone Brothers, Rio Tinto, Smurfit Kappa Group (CDI), St James's Place

QUARTERLY EX-DIVIDEND DATE

Marsh & Mclennan Cos Inc.

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Crude Oil Inventories (US) (15:30)

GFK Consumer Confidence (GER) (07:00)

Gross Domestic Product (US) (13:30)

MBA Mortgage Applications (US) (12:00)

Q2

GlaxoSmithKline, Lancashire Holdings Limited

GMS

Telit Communications, TP Group

FINALS

Hargreaves Services, Shearwater Group

EGMS

Triple Point Income VCT D

AGMS

Alien Metals Limited NPV (DI), Aquila Services Group, Card Factory, Chariot Limited, Cropper (James), JPMorgan Japan Small Cap Growth & Income, Reabold Resources, Staffline Group, Ted Baker, Triad Group, Trifast, Triple Point Income VCT E

UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

BRC Shop Price Index (00:01)

FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Tatton Asset Management

Q1

Wizz Air Holdings

Thursday 29 July

INTERIMS

Anglo American, AstraZeneca, BAE Systems, Compagnie de St-Gobain SA, Devro, Drax Group, Elementis, Equiniti Group , Inchcape, Indivior, Informa, Lloyds Banking Group, Mail.ru Group Ltd GDR (Reg S), National Express Group, Nokia OYJ, Nokia OYJ, Relx plc, Rentokil Initial, Schroders, SEGRO, Smith & Nephew, Spectris, Totally, Vesuvius

INTERIM EX-DIVIDEND DATE

BB Healthcare Trust (Red), Independent Inv Trust, Moneysupermarket.com Group, Nichols, Northern Venture Trust, RBG Holdings

QUARTERLY EX-DIVIDEND DATE

Greencoat Renewables (CDI), NB Global Monthly Income Fund Limited Red Ord Shs NPV £, SME Credit Realisation Fund Limited NPV

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Business Climate Indicator (EU) (10:00)

Consumer Confidence (EU) (10:00)

Continuing Claims (US) (13:30)

Economic Sentiment Indicator (EU) (10:00)

Industrial Confidence (EU) (10:00)

Initial Jobless Claims (US) (13:30)

Pending Homes Sales (US) (15:00)

Services Sentiment (EU) (10:00)

Unemployment Rate (GER) (08:55)

Q2

AstraZeneca, Nokia OYJ, Royal Dutch Shell 'A', Royal Dutch Shell 'B', Smith & Nephew, Totally

FINALS

Amigo Holdings, Platform HG Finance 1.625% Sec Bds 10/08/55, SRT Marine Systems

SPECIAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Edinburgh Inv Trust, KKV Secured Loan Fund Limited 'C Shares', KKV Secured Loan Fund Limited NPV

SPECIAL EX-DIVIDEND DATE

Bloomsbury Publishing, CML Microsystems, Gulf Keystone Petroleum Ltd Com Shs (DI), Jarvis Securities, Northern Venture Trust

EGMS

Amiad Water Systems Ltd

AGMS

Amiad Water Systems Ltd, Aminex (CDI), B&M European Value Retail S.A. (DI), CMC Markets, Discoverie Group, Dr. Martens , GB Group, Intermediate Capital Group, Johnson Matthey, MS International, Ovoca Bio (CDI), Palace Capital , Powerhouse Energy Group, Tate & Lyle, TMT Investments, Volex

TRADING ANNOUNCEMENTS

Compass Group, Discoverie Group, Evraz, Headlam Group, Intermediate Capital Group, Sage Group, Smith & Nephew

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

Anglo Asian Mining, Edinburgh Inv Trust, Integrated Diagnostics Holdings, Tribal Group

FINAL EX-DIVIDEND DATE

Bloomsbury Publishing, Blue Planet Investment Trust, Downing One VCT , Monks Inv Trust, NewRiver REIT, QinetiQ Group, Royal Mail, SSE, Triad Group, Ventus VCT D Shs, Ventus 2 VCT, Ventus 2 VCT 'C' Shares, Ventus 2 VCT D Shs, Ventus VCT, Ventus VCT 'C' Shares

Q1

Airtel Africa

Friday 30 July

INTERIMS

Essentra, IMI, International Consolidated Airlines Group SA (CDI), Intertek Group, Jupiter Fund Management , Man Group, NATWEST GROUP PLC ORD 100P, Rightmove

INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

BP 8% Cum 1st Prf, BP 9% 2nd Prf, Character Group, Gooch & Housego, Hargreave Hale AIM VCT , S and U 31.5% Prf. Cum. Prf 12.5P, Smiths News , Triple Point Income VCT C, Triple Point Income VCT D, Triple Point Income VCT E, Triple Point VCT 2011 Venture, Up Global Sourcing Holdings

QUARTERLY PAYMENT DATE

BMO Private Equity Trust, Ediston Property Investment Company, Marble Point Loan Financing Limited NPV, Middlefield Canadian Income PCC, Real Estate Credit Investments Ltd, Standard Life Private Equity Trust, TwentyFour Select Monthly Income Fund Limited , Value and Indexed Property Income Trust

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Chicago PMI (US) (14:45)

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

GDP (Preliminary) (GER) (07:00)

Import Price Index (GER) (07:00)

Personal Consumption Expenditures (US) (13:30)

Personal Income (US) (13:30)

Personal Spending (US) (13:30)

U. of Michigan Confidence (US) (15:00)

Unemployment Rate (EU) (10:00)

Q2

NATWEST GROUP PLC ORD 100P

GMS

Sutton Harbour Group

FINALS

Victoria

IMSS

Kerry Group 'A' Shares (CDI)

SPECIAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Albion Venture Capital Trust

EGMS

Castillo Copper Limited NPV (DI)

AGMS

Advanced Oncotherapy, Bezant Resources, Danakali Limited NPV, DP Poland, Edenville Energy , Puma Vct 13, Supply@Me Capital

TRADING ANNOUNCEMENTS

Glencore , Paragon Banking Group, Vodafone Group, Yamana Gold Inc. NPV (CDI)

FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Anpario, B.P. Marsh & Partners, Big Yellow Group, Calculus VCT , Hibernia Reit (CDI), iEnergizer Ltd., Inspiration Healthcare Group , JPMorgan European Discovery Trust, Mobeus Income & Growth 2 Vct, Morses Club , Norcros, Premier Foods, ProVen Growth & Income VCT, ProVen VCT, Riverfort Global Opportunities , Steppe Cement Ltd, Telecom Plus