Week ahead: Spotlight shifts to G20 and US jobs report

Market´s attention will shift firmly towards China and US economic data over the coming week.

Setting the stage for next week, investors will be keeping close tabs on the conclusion reached by G20 finance ministers meeting over the weekend in Shanghai, China.

Speaking ahead of that gathering of the world´s 'great and good', International Monetary Fund boss Christine Lagarde was quoted as saying: "Are we in a 2009 moment? I don't think so. Are we in a moment where coordination is needed? Yes." We concur with Ms. Lagarde."

The venue might also be fertile ground for soundbytes regarding the UK´s upcoming 23 June referendum on whether to stay inside the European Union.

Despite the enormous gravity of that event, market participants have more immediate (and likely) concerns on their minds, such as the US central bank´s next policy meeting on 16 March and the prospect for further interest rate hikes Stateside.

Friday´s employment report would inevitably feed into the debate at the next meeting of the Federal Open Market Committee, despite financial markets not currently pricing in any chance of a move on that date.

After all, as the president of the Federal Reserve bank of St.Louis, James Bullard, told CNBC on 25 February, if you have to choose between data on gross domestic and the labour market to gauge the strength of the economy, choose jobs.

Back in the UK, the results of the latest Markit purchasing managers´ indices for the manufacturing and services sector would also be closely watched, as would the pound´s gyrations in foreign exchange markets.

Monday 29 February

INTERIMS
Oxford Technology 2 VCT, Oxford Technology 4 Venture Capital Trust, Purecircle Limited (DI), Waterman Group

INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
NB Private Equity Partners Ltd., Plus500 Ltd (DI)

QUARTERLY PAYMENT DATE
City of London Inv Trust

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
Chicago PMI (US) (00:45)
Retail Sales (GER) (07:00)

GMS
Plethora Solutions Holdings

FINALS
British Polythene Industries, Bunzl, Cairn Homes , FBD Holdings, Telecom Egypt SAE GDS (Regs), Ultra Electronics Holdings, W H Ireland Group

EGMS
Resource Holding Management Limited (DI)

AGMS
Formation Group, Polemos

UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
M4 Money Supply (09:30)
Mortgage Approvals (09:30)

FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Polar Capital Global Financials Trust, Terra Capital

Tuesday 01 March

INTERIMS
Empiric Student Property , Mysale Group, Purecircle Limited (DI), Revolution Bars Group

INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Coral Products, Puma VCT 10 , Puma Vct 8, Puma Vct VII

QUARTERLY PAYMENT DATE
JPMorgan Claverhouse Inv Trust

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
Construction Spending (US) (15:00)
ISM Manufacturing (US) (15:00)
ISM Prices Paid (US) (15:00)
PMI Manufacturing (GER) (08:55)
PMI Manufacturing (EU) (09:00)
PMI Manufacturing (US) (14:45)
Unemployment Rate (EU) (10:00)

Q3
Ashtead Group

FINALS
Barclays, Direct Line Insurance Group, Elementis, Fresnillo, Glencore , Greggs, Hutchison China Meditech Ltd, Hydro International, Jardine Lloyd Thompson Group, Johnson Service Group, Moneysupermarket.com Group, Regus, Rotork, Servelec Group , Somero Enterprises Inc. (DI)

ANNUAL REPORT
Barclays, IP Group

AGMS
CareTech Holding, Sage Group

UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
PMI Manufacturing (09:30)

FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Renew Holdings

Wednesday 02 March

INTERIMS
Clinigen Group, Dalata Hotel Group

INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Cohort, Stagecoach Group

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
Beige Book Fed Survey (US) (19:00)
Crude Oil Inventories (US) (03:30)
MBA Mortgage Applications (US) (12:00)
Producer Price Index (EU) (10:00)

GMS
Plethora Solutions Holdings

FINALS
Costain Group, Dignity, Intertek Group, ITV, Laird, Nichols, Tarsus Group

EGMS
IG Seismic Services GDR (Reg S)

AGMS
Driver Group

UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
PMI Construction (09:30)

Thursday 03 March

INTERIM EX-DIVIDEND DATE
Alumasc Group, Ashmore Group, Best of the Best, Carclo, Colefax Group, Darty, Dunelm Group, Genus, Hansard Global, Hargreaves Lansdown, Hays, Ibex Global Solutions, JPMorgan Mid Cap Inv Trust, MJ Gleeson , Park Group, Redde, Renishaw, Ruffer Investment Company Ltd Red PTG Pref Shares

QUARTERLY EX-DIVIDEND DATE
Blackrock North American Income Trust , Premier Energy & Water Trust, Real Estate Credit Investments PCC Ltd Pref Shs , SQN Asset Finance Income Fund Limited

FINALS
Admiral Group, Aggreko, Alpha Bank GDR (Reg S) USD, BBA Aviation, Carillion, Cobham, Communisis, CRH, Dairy Farm International Holdings Ltd. (Singapore), Exova Group , Genel Energy, H&T Group, Headlam Group, Hongkong Land Holding Ltd. (Sing.Reg), Hunting, Impellam Group, IndigoVision Group, Inmarsat, Jardine Matheson Holdings Ltd (Singapore Reg), Jardine Strategic Holdings Ltd. (Singapore), LSL Property Services, Mandarin Oriental International (Singapore), Melrose Industries, Shawbrook Group, Spirax-Sarco Engineering, Sportech, Travis Perkins

ANNUAL REPORT
Headlam Group, Henderson Group, IndigoVision Group

SPECIAL EX-DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Dunelm Group, Premier Energy & Water Trust

EGMS
Argo Group Ltd., Phoenix Spree Deutschland Limited SHS NPV

AGMS
AFH Financial Group , Impax Asset Management Group, Jersey Electricity 'A' Shares, JPMorgan Russian Securities, Mercom Oil Sands, Sanderson Group

TRADING ANNOUNCEMENTS
McCarthy & Stone

FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Gooch & Housego, Zoopla Property Group (WI)

FINAL EX-DIVIDEND DATE
Caledonia Investments, CareTech Holding, Downing Four VCT DSO, Downing Four VCT DSO 'A' Shs, Downing Three VCT A Shares, Downing Three VCT C Shares, Downing Two VCT 'A' Shs, Downing Two VCT 'C' Shs, Electronic Data Processing, John Laing Infrastructure Fund Ltd, Judges Scientific, Lavendon Group, Maintel Holdings, Northern Electricity Prf, Octopus Eclipse VCT 1, Ranger Direct Lending Fund, RSA Insurance Group, Sanderson Group, Scottish American Inv Company, Spirent Communications, St. Modwen Properties, Treatt

Friday 04 March

INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
CPL Resources, Daejan Holdings, Mattioli Woods

QUARTERLY PAYMENT DATE
Toro Limited

FINALS
Independent News & Media, London Stock Exchange Group, WPP

ANNUAL REPORT
Industrial Mlulti Propety Trust , Law Debenture Corp.

AGMS
Actual Experience , River And Mercantile UK Micro Cap Investment Company Limited , Shoe Zone, SSP Group

TRADING ANNOUNCEMENTS
Alpha Real Trust Ltd.

FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Downing Four VCT DSO 'A' Shs, P2P Global Investments C, Sage Group