Week ahead: UK CPI, Global PMIs in focus

Investors' focus over the coming week would be on Wednesday's consumer price data which may hold the ley to whether the Bank of England hikes rates again in early May.

Consensus was for a decline in the annual rate of consumer price gains from 10.4% in February to 10.0% for March.

The February UK employment report would precede that release, on Tuesday, while retail sales figures for the month of March would follow on Friday.

A flurry of Chinese activity indicators covering the month of March were also due out, on Tuesday, alongside a reading for first quarter gross domestic product growth.

Purchasing manager survey results for the UK, euro area and US were also scheduled for release on Friday.

They would be closely monitored for any signs of weakness, especially given the recent banking crisis.

As many as eight top Federal Reserve officials were expected to deliver speeches over the course of the week, half of them on Thursday.

Monday 17 April

INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

National Westminster 9%pf

FINALS

Diaceutics , Schroder UK Public Private Trust , Surface Transforms

SPECIAL EX-DIVIDEND DATE

Seplat Energy (DI)

TRADING ANNOUNCEMENTS

Ashmore Group, Sirius Real Estate Ltd.

FINAL EX-DIVIDEND DATE

Seplat Energy (DI)

Tuesday 18 April

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Building Permits (US) (13:30)

Housing Starts (US) (13:30)

ZEW Survey (EU) - Economic Sentiment (10:00)

ZEW Survey (GER) - Current Situation (10:00)

ZEW Survey (GER) - Economic Sentiment (10:00)

FINALS

Billington Holdings, Property Franchise Group, THG , Xeros Technology Group

SPECIAL EX-DIVIDEND DATE

SLF Realisation Fund Limited C Shs NPV, SLF Realisation Fund Limited NPV

AGMS

AIQ Limited (DI), Franchise Brands, Herald Investment Trust, Porvair, XP Power Ltd. (DI)

TRADING ANNOUNCEMENTS

IntegraFin Holding, Liontrust Asset Management

UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Claimant Count Rate (07:00)

Unemployment Rate (07:00)

Wednesday 19 April

INTERIM EX-DIVIDEND DATE

Nippon Active Value Fund

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Crude Oil Inventories (US) (15:30)

Current Account (EU) (09:00)

Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices (EU) (10:00)

MBA Mortgage Applications (US) (12:00)

FINALS

Distribution Finance Capital Holdings, M Winkworth

AGMS

British American Tobacco, Hunting, Leeds Building Society 13 3/8% Bearing Shares, Primary Health Properties, RM

TRADING ANNOUNCEMENTS

Entain, Hochschild Mining, Network International Holdings

UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Consumer Price Index (07:00)

Producer Price Index (07:00)

Retail Price Index (07:00)

FINAL EX-DIVIDEND DATE

Highcroft Investment

Thursday 20 April

INTERIMS

WH Smith

INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Finsbury Food Group

INTERIM EX-DIVIDEND DATE

Income & Growth VCT , London Finance & Investment Group, Mobeus Income & Growth 4 Vct, Mobeus Income & Growth Vct, SCS Group , Tracsis

QUARTERLY EX-DIVIDEND DATE

JpMorgan China Growth & Income , M Winkworth, Supermarket Income Reit, Thomaslloyd Energy Impact Trust , Thomaslloyd Energy Impact Trust , TwentyFour Select Monthly Income Fund Limited

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Balance of Trade (EU) (10:00)

Continuing Claims (US) (13:30)

Existing Home Sales (US) (15:00)

Initial Jobless Claims (US) (13:30)

Philadelphia Fed Index (US) (13:30)

Producer Price Index (GER) (07:00)

GMS

Franchise Brands

FINALS

Arecor Therapeutics , Dianomi , Intelligent Ultrasound Group , Oxford Biomedica

AGMS

Haleon , Jarvis Securities, Relx plc

TRADING ANNOUNCEMENTS

Dunelm Group, Rentokil Initial, Rio Tinto, SEGRO

FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Rio Tinto

FINAL EX-DIVIDEND DATE

AIREA, Antofagasta, Arbuthnot Banking Group, BAE Systems, Bodycote, Cairn Homes (CDI), Drax Group, Dunedin Enterprise Investment Trust, Eurocell , FBD Holdings (CDI), Fevertree Drinks, Genel Energy, Genuit Group, Hunting, Ibstock , JPMorgan American Inv Trust, JPMorgan US Smaller Co. Inv Tst, Jupiter Fund Management , London Stock Exchange Group, Maven Income & Growth 4 VCT, Me Group International, Merchants Trust, Portmeirion Group, Quilter, Rathbones Group, Sabre Insurance Group, Spirax-Sarco Engineering, Thungela Resources Limited NPV (DI), Uniphar (CDI), Vanquis Banking Group 20, Vesuvius, Videndum , Vistry Group , Weir Group, Wickes Group

Q1

Centamin (DI)

Friday 21 April

INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Thorpe (F.W.)

QUARTERLY PAYMENT DATE

Abrdn Private Equity Opportunities Trust

GMS

Fondul Proprietatea S.A. GDR (Reg S), System1 Group

FINALS

Angle

SPECIAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Starwood European Real Estate Finance Ltd

EGMS

Fondul Proprietatea S.A. GDR (Reg S)

AGMS

Aukett Swanke Group , Globaltrans Investment GDR (Reg S), Murray International Trust

UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

GFK Consumer Confidence (00:01)

Retail Sales (07:00)

FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Conduit Holdings Limited Com Shs (DI), Heavitree Brewery, Heavitree Brewery 'A' Shares, Oakley Capital Investments Ltd. (DI)