Week ahead: Japan data to take centre stage

Japanese data were to take centre stage during the holiday-shortened trading week, with the latest figures on the unemployment rate and consumer prices in the month of November set for release on Monday.

They would be followed by figures on industrial production and retail sales for that same month on the following day.

Stateside, the most relevant release was not scheduled for until Friday, when the Chicago manufacturing sector PMI was due out, although the Conference Board´s consumer confidence gauge on Tuesday and the latest weekly tally for unemployment claims would likely also attract attention.

Back in the UK, BBA was set to release its latest home loan purchase figures on Wednesday, with Halifax´s measure of home prices for December also set to be published during the week.

Euro area M3 money supply figures were also expected for Thursday.

Monday 26 December

No results scheduled

Tuesday 27 December

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
Consumer Confidence (US) (09:30)

Wednesday December 28

INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Phaunos Timber Fund Ltd.

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
Pending Homes Sales (US) (15:00)

SPECIAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Canadian General Investments Ltd.

EGMS
Zhejiang Expressway Co 'H' Shares

AGMS
Asian Citrus Holding, Mortice Ltd. (DI)

UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
Mortgage Approvals (09:30)

FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
DFS Furniture, JPMorgan Japanese Inv Trust

Thursday December 29

INTERIM EX-DIVIDEND DATE
Anglo Pacific Group, BT Group, Dixons Carphone , Ensor Holdings, Fulcrum Utility Services Ltd. (DI), Halma, KCOM Group, Octopus AIM VCT, OPG Power Ventures, Polar Capital Holdings, Real Good Food , RPC Group

QUARTERLY EX-DIVIDEND DATE
Funding Circle SME Income Fund, Schroder Income Growth Fund, Value and Income Trust

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
Continuing Claims (US) (13:30)
Crude Oil Inventories (US) (16:30)
Initial Jobless Claims (US) (13:30)
M3 Money Supply (EU) (09:00)
Wholesales Inventories (US) (13:30)

SPECIAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Polymetal International

EGMS
Datang International Power Generation Co Ltd.

AGMS
Altona Energy, Avanti Communications Group, SimiGon Ltd. (DI), Webis Holdings

FINAL EX-DIVIDEND DATE
Cambria Automobiles, Game Digital, Grainger, Inland Homes, ITE Group, Oakley Capital Investments Ltd. (DI), Proactis Holdings, Schroder Asia Pacific Fund, Schroder UK Mid Cap Fund

Friday December 30

INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Clipper Logistics , First Property Group, Helical, Kainos Group , Palace Capital

QUARTERLY PAYMENT DATE
Bank of America Corp., F&C Commercial Property Trust Ltd., HICL Infrastructure Company Ltd, Premier Energy & Water Trust

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
Chicago PMI (US) (14:45)

AGMS
BOS Global Holdings Limited (DI), K&C Reit , Red Rock Resources, Regency Mines, Secure Property Development & Investment (DI)