Week ahead: Focus to shift towards Asia

Financial markets are expected to quieten down in the coming week following the ECB’s damp squib and the latest US non-farm payrolls report.

Nevertheless, anticipation is likely to build as the date of the next US Federal Reserve policy meeting nears, although the likelihood of an interest rate increase is now considered to be very high.

A barrage of data out of China and Japan will also draw close scrutiny.

Japan will publish final figures on third quarter gross domestic product and foreign trade on Monday.

Chinese export data will follow on the next day, alongside the latest readings on inflation in the Asian giant on Wednesday and the latest investment and industrial production figures which are scheduled for release on Saturday.

The data calendar Stateside will be backend loaded, with the latest retail sales, producer prices and University of Michigan consumer confidence reports all set for release next Friday.

Investors will also win a reprieve from Fed speak as rate-setters on the other side of the Pond enter their quiet period ahead of the following week’s meeting.

The Monetary Policy Committee isn’t expected to make any changes when it meets on Thursday, although the records of the Bank of England’s Financial Policy Committee on Wednesday may attract some attention.

Final gross domestic product figures for the third quarter, on Tuesday, will be the main release in the Eurozone.

Monday 07 December

INTERIMS
Plastics Capital, ReNeuron Group

INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
DCC

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
Consumer Credit (US) (20:00)
Harmonised Competitiveness Indicators (EU) (09:00)
Industrial Production (GER) (11:00)

Q4
GW Pharmaceuticals

GMS
Ixico

FINALS
GW Pharmaceuticals, Standard Life European Private Equity Trust

EGMS
Public Power GDR SA (Reg S)

AGMS
Armour Group, Avanti Capital, Eclectic Bar Group, Parallel Media Group

FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Just Retirement Group, Petra Diamonds Ltd.(DI)

FINAL EX-DIVIDEND DATE
Aeci 5 1/2% Prf

Tuesday 08 December

INTERIMS
Daily Internet , Hornby, Polar Capital Technology Trust, Vianet Group

INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Rotala

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
GDP (1st release) (EU) (10:00)

FINALS
CareTech Holding, Infrastrata, OMG, RWS Holdings, Servoca, Treatt, Victrex plc, Zytronic

EGMS
Gulf Keystone Petroleum Ltd.(DI)

AGMS
Billing Services Group Ltd., C4X Discovery Holdings , GETECH Group, Schroder Oriental Income Fund Ltd., Ten Alps, Trading Emissions

UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
BRC Sales Monitor (00:01)
Industrial Production (09:30)
Manufacturing Production (09:30)

FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
ISG

Wednesday 09 December

INTERIMS
Ashtead Group, Bilby, Scholium Group, Stagecoach Group

QUARTERLY PAYMENT DATE
Unilever

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
Crude Oil Inventories (US) (15:30)
MBA Mortgage Applications (US) (12:00)
Wholesales Inventories (US) (15:00)

Q2
Ashtead Group

FINALS
Alternative Networks, easyHotel, Focusrite, Redhall Group

IMSS
Tesco

AGMS
EastPharma Ltd GDR (Reg S), Falcon Oil & Gas Ltd., International Biotech Trust, K3 Business Technology Group, Shore Capital Group Ltd.

UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
BRC Shop Price Index (00:01)

Thursday 10 December

INTERIMS
Darty, Micro Focus International, Photo-Me International, Sports Direct International, Versarien

INTERIM EX-DIVIDEND DATE
3i Group, Babcock International Group, BCA Marketplace, Big Yellow Group, British Smaller Companies VCT, Brown (N.) Group, Caffyns, Clipper Logistics , Cranswick, Cropper (James), Dee Valley Group, DFS Furniture, General Industries, Homeserve, International Greetings, Investec, Montanaro European Smaller Companies Trust, MS International, Next, Northgate, Palace Capital , Pets at Home Group , Telford Homes, Ventus VCT D Shs, Ventus 2 VCT, Ventus 2 VCT 'C' Shares, Ventus 2 VCT D Shs, Ventus VCT, Ventus VCT 'C' Shares

QUARTERLY PAYMENT DATE
Canaccord Genuity Group Inc., IBM Corp.

QUARTERLY EX-DIVIDEND DATE
F&C Commercial Property Trust Ltd., Real Estate Credit Investments PCC Ltd, Real Estate Credit Investments PCC Ltd Pref Shs

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
Continuing Claims (US) (13:30)
Import and Export Price Indexes (US) (13:30)
Initial Jobless Claims (US) (13:30)
Treasury Budget Statement (US) (19:00)

GMS
Ferrex

FINALS
Lakehouse, TUI AG Reg Shs (DI)

ANNUAL REPORT
TUI AG Reg Shs (DI)

SPECIAL EX-DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Artemis VCT, Keystone Inv Trust, Netcall, Polymetal International

EGMS
Norish Units

AGMS
AB Dynamics, Aberdeen Latin American Income Fund Ltd , BlackRock Greater Europe Inv Trust, Greatland Gold, Nanoco Group, Nektan (DI), Plexus Holdings, Starvest

TRADING ANNOUNCEMENTS
Go-Ahead Group, PZ Cussons

UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
Balance of Trade (09:30)
BoE Interest Rate Decision (12:00)
BoE Interest Rate Minutes (09:30)
RICS Housing Market Survey (09:30)

FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Fidelity Asian Values, Finsbury Food Group

FINAL EX-DIVIDEND DATE
Artemis VCT, Associated British Foods, DFS Furniture, JPMorgan Chinese Inv Trust, K3 Business Technology Group, Netcall, Numis Corporation, Pan African Resources, Scottish Oriental Smaller Companies Trust, Waterman Group

Friday 11 December

INTERIMS
ASA Resource Group , Gresham House Strategic , Polar Capital Holdings

INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Amati VCT , Elderstreet VCT, First Derivatives, Grafenia , Hargreave Hale AIM VCT 2, Martin Currie Asia Unconstrained Trust , Next Fifteen Communications, Pennant International Group, Ranger Direct Lending Fund, SThree, TalkTalk Telecom Group , Walker Crips Group, Young & Co's Brewery 'A' Shares

QUARTERLY PAYMENT DATE
Barclays, Carnival

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
Business Inventories (US) (15:00)
Consumer Price Index (GER) (07:00)
Manufacturing Inventories (US) (15:00)
Producer Price Index (US) (13:30)
Retail Sales (US) (13:30)
Retail Sales Inventories (US) (15:00)
U. of Michigan Confidence (US) (15:00)

GMS
Standard Life Investments Property Income Trust Ltd.

SPECIAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Calculus VCT

EGMS
Bacit Limited, PJSC Megafon GDR (Reg S)

AGMS
Bellway, Bezant Resources, CQS New City High Yield Fund Limited, Forte Energy NL, JPMorgan Elect Managed Cash Shares, JPMorgan Elect Managed Growth Shares, JPMorgan Elect Managed Income Shares, MJ Gleeson , Paragon Entertainment Ltd (DI), River and Mercantile Group , Waterman Group, Westmount Energy Ltd.

TRADING ANNOUNCEMENTS
SThree

FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Avingtrans, CVS Group, JPMorgan Overseas Inv Trust, Jupiter European Opportunities Trust, London Finance & Investment Group, Matchtech Group, Volta Finance Limited