Week ahead: Fedspeak, UK CPI, global PMIs in focus
Investors' focus over the coming week will be on the US central bank amid a continuing heavy calendar of Fed speakers, especially during the first half of the week.
Their remarks will be supplemented by the release of the minutes of the Federal Reserve's last policy meeting on Wednesday.
On home shores meanwhile, UK consumer price figures for April will be published that same day.
Consensus is calling for a decline in the year-on-year rate of increase in headline consumer prices from 4.2% in March to 3.7% for April.
Come Thursday, the focus will shift to a barrage of preliminary purchasing managers' survey data for factory and services sector activity in the euro area, UK and US covering the month of April.
Rate-setters in China and New Zealand were due to meet to decide on policy on Monday and Wednesday.
Monday 20 May
FINALS
Kainos Group , Likewise Group, Union Jack Oil
SPECIAL EX-DIVIDEND DATE
Ascential
EGMS
GCP Asset Backed Income Fund Limited
AGMS
GCP Asset Backed Income Fund Limited, Georgia Capital , Harworth Group, Impax Environmental Markets, Malvern International, Maven Income & Growth 3 VCT, Mobeus Income & Growth 4 Vct, Mobeus Income & Growth Vct
FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
AIREA, Hvivo, Jupiter Fund Management , Murray International Trust
Tuesday 21 May
INTERIMS
Avon Protection, Ixico, SSP Group , Topps Tiles, Watkin Jones
INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
Balance of Trade (EU) (10:00)
Current Account (EU) (09:00)
Producer Price Index (GER) (07:00)
GMS
Judges Scientific
FINALS
Assura , Caledonia Investments, Calnex Solutions , Cranswick, Diaceutics , FD Technologies Public Limited Company, Pennon Group
AGMS
Accesso Technology Group, Capita, Centamin (DI), Coca-Cola HBC AG (CDI), Dowlais Group, Epwin Group, Equals Group , Fintel, Forterra, Fresnillo, Gamma Communications, Getbusy, HydrogenOne Capital Growth, Impact Healthcare Reit , IWG , JTC, Judges Scientific, K3 Business Technology Group, M & G Credit Income Investment Trust , Metro Bank Holdings , O'Key Group GDR (Reg S) , Portmeirion Group, Riverstone Energy Limited , Shell , Sherborne Investors (Guernsey) C Limited NPV, TBC Bank Group, TBC Bank Group, Trustpilot Group
TRADING ANNOUNCEMENTS
Smiths Group
FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Bridgepoint Group (Reg S) , HGCapital Trust, Lloyds Banking Group, Old Mutual Limited NPV (DI)
Wednesday 22 May
INTERIMS
Benchmark Holdings , Benchmark Holdings , Hardide, IntegraFin Holding, Mitchells & Butlers
INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Softcat
INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
Crude Oil Inventories (US) (15:30)
Existing Home Sales (US) (15:00)
FOMC Interest Rate Minutes (US) (19:00)
MBA Mortgage Applications (US) (12:00)
GMS
Invinity Energy Systems , Mindflair
FINALS
British Land Company, C&C Group (CDI), C&C Group (CDI), Great Portland Estates, HICL Infrastructure , Marks & Spencer Group, RS Group, Severn Trent, SSE
AGMS
4Imprint Group, Adriatic Metals , Arbuthnot Banking Group, Bango, BlackRock Latin American Inv Trust, Boku, Inc (DI) Reg S Cat 3/144A, Empiric Student Property , Fidelity Japan Trust, M&G, Ming Yang Smart Energy Group Limited Gdr (Each Repr 5 A Shs Rmb1) (Reg S), Mortgage Advice Bureau (Holdings) , MusicMagpie, Niox Group, Playtech, PPHE Hotel Group Ltd, Riverstone Credit Opportunities Income, Riverstone Credit Opportunities Income, Schroders Capital Global Innovation Trust, Staffline Group, Staffline Group, Stelrad Group , The Artisanal Spirits Company, VH Global Sustainable Energy Opportunities , Zinc Media Group, Zotefoams
TRADING ANNOUNCEMENTS
4Imprint Group, Aviva, Aviva, Close Brothers Group, Empiric Student Property , Kingfisher, Regional REIT Limited
UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
Consumer Price Index (07:00)
Producer Price Index (07:00)
Public Sector Net Borrowing (07:00)
Retail Price Index (07:00)
FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Central Asia Metals, Eurocell , Harbour Energy , London Stock Exchange Group, Man Group, Merchants Trust, Phoenix Group Holdings , Smith & Nephew
Q1
Benchmark Holdings
Thursday 23 May
INTERIMS
AJ Bell
INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Coca-Cola Europacific Partners (DI)
INTERIM EX-DIVIDEND DATE
Avingtrans, Bellway, BlackRock Greater Europe Inv Trust, Brunner Investment 5% Prf, Cardiff Property, Diploma, Grainger, Nexus Infrastructure
QUARTERLY EX-DIVIDEND DATE
CRH (CDI), HICL Infrastructure , NextEnergy Solar Fund Limited Red, Tritax Eurobox (EUR), Tritax Eurobox (GBP)
INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
Continuing Claims (US) (13:30)
Initial Jobless Claims (US) (13:30)
New Homes Sales (US) (15:00)
GMS
Indivior
FINALS
Bloomsbury Publishing, Braemar , Helical, Investec, Johnson Matthey, Johnson Matthey, National Grid, Picton Property Income Ltd, QinetiQ Group, Wizz Air Holdings
SPECIAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Savills
SPECIAL EX-DIVIDEND DATE
Town Centre Securities
AGMS
Baillie Gifford Shin Nippon, Bakkavor Group , Bank of Ireland Group (CDI), Capital & Regional, Capricorn Energy, Crossword Cybersecurity, Deliveroo Class , Dunedin Income Growth Inv Trust, Energean , Essentra, Ferrexpo, Headlam Group, Hill and Smith, Inspirit Energy Holdings, LBG Media , Legal & General Group, Life Science REIT, LSL Property Services, Manx Financial Group, N4 Pharma , Norman Broadbent , Petershill Partners , Pharos Energy , Prudential, Quilter, Real Estate Investors, Regional REIT Limited, Resolute Mining Limited NPV (DI), Rolls-Royce Holdings, Rolls-Royce Holdings, Sabre Insurance Group, Shaftesbury Capital, Spectris, Strip Tinning Holdings, Yu Group
TRADING ANNOUNCEMENTS
Essentra
FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Aviva, Convatec Group , ITV, Me Group International, Savills, Secure Trust Bank
FINAL EX-DIVIDEND DATE
Andrews Sykes Group, Aptitude Software Group , BlackRock Smaller Companies Trust, Burford Capital NPV (DI), DCC (CDI), Empresaria Group, Fintel, HSS Hire Group , Keywords Studios, Lords Group Trading, Mincon Group (CDI), Niox Group, Spire Healthcare Group, TI Fluid Systems, Weiss Korea Opportunity Fund Ltd, Whitbread
Q1
Argo Blockchain
Friday 24 May
INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Nippon Active Value Fund , Tracsis
QUARTERLY PAYMENT DATE
Greencoat Renewables (CDI), JPMorgan Asia Growth & Income
INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
Durable Goods Orders (US) (13:30)
Gross Domestic Product (GER) (07:00)
U. of Michigan Confidence (Final) (US) (15:00)
FINALS
Volvere
SPECIAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Greggs
AGMS
Fiinu, Intertek Group, Keywords Studios, Wickes Group
TRADING ANNOUNCEMENTS
Intertek Group
UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
Retail Sales (07:00)
FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
AVI Japan Opportunity Trust , Centaur Media, Clarkson, Greggs, Harworth Group, Howden Joinery Group, Maven Income & Growth 4 VCT, Public Policy Holding Company, Inc.(DI), Reckitt Benckiser Group, Rightmove, Rotork, Spirax-Sarco Engineering, St James's Place, Toyota Motor Corp., TP Icap Group , Unite Group