Week ahead: UK CPI, US retail sales in focus

Investors' focus over the coming week would shift away from the U.S. a little, even as the first quarter corporate earnings season got under way.

Of key importance would be the February UK employment report, on Tuesday, followed by consumer and producer price figures on Wednesday.

A barrage of activity indicator for the month of March were also due out in the People's Republic of China, come Wednesday.

In the States, the market spotlight would likely be on the March retail sales report, on Monday, and the Philly Fed factory index on Thursday.

Worth noting, finance ministers from around the world would be meeting to discuss global developments at the International Monetary Fund's Spring meetings on 15-20 April.

Geopolitics wouldn't be far from investors' minds either, given reports that Tehran might be plotting an imminent strike against Israel.

Monday 15 April

INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Craneware

QUARTERLY PAYMENT DATE

Wheaton Precious Metals Corp.NPV (CDI)

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Business Inventories (US) (15:00)

Industrial Production (EU) (10:00)

Retail Sales (US) (13:30)

Retail Sales Less Autos (US) (13:30)

FINALS

Ceres Power Holdings, Engage XR Holdings (CDI), Itaconix

TRADING ANNOUNCEMENTS

Berkeley Group Holdings (The), Kainos Group

FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

REA Holdings 9% Cum. Prf. #1

Tuesday 16 April

INTERIMS

Gattaca

INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Brooks Macdonald Group, National Westminster 9%pf

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Balance of Trade (EU) (10:00)

Building Permits (US) (13:30)

Capacity Utilisation (US) (14:15)

Housing Starts (US) (13:30)

Industrial Production (US) (14:15)

Wholesale Price Index (GER) (07:00)

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

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

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

Q3

Petra Diamonds Ltd.(DI)

GMS

Live Company Group, Nexteq, Zinnwald Lithium

FINALS

Accesso Technology Group, Ashtead Technology Holdings, Billington Holdings, Equals Group , Gresham Technologies, Learning Technologies Group , Next 15 Group, Team17 Group

AGMS

M&G, Nexteq, Porvair

TRADING ANNOUNCEMENTS

IntegraFin Holding, QinetiQ Group

UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Claimant Count Rate (07:00)

Unemployment Rate (07:00)

Wednesday 17 April

INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Diageo

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Crude Oil Inventories (US) (15:30)

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

MBA Mortgage Applications (US) (12:00)

FINALS

Inspects Group , M Winkworth, Touchstar

AGMS

Hunting, Hunting, Team

TRADING ANNOUNCEMENTS

easyJet, Entain, Liontrust Asset Management

UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Consumer Price Index (07:00)

Producer Price Index (07:00)

Retail Price Index (07:00)

Thursday 18 April

INTERIMS

Pod Point Group Holdings

INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Redcentric

INTERIM EX-DIVIDEND DATE

DFS Furniture, Kier Group, Nippon Active Value Fund

QUARTERLY EX-DIVIDEND DATE

JpMorgan China Growth & Income , M Winkworth, TwentyFour Select Monthly Income Fund Limited

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Continuing Claims (US) (13:30)

Current Account (EU) (09:00)

Existing Home Sales (US) (15:00)

Initial Jobless Claims (US) (13:30)

Philadelphia Fed Index (US) (13:30)

FINALS

Devolver Digital, Inc. (DI) Reg S Cat 3/144A, HydrogenOne Capital Growth, Keystone Law Group , LBG Media

EGMS

Jyske Bank A/S

AGMS

Aquis Exchange , Harmony Energy Income Trust, Jarvis Securities, Leeds Building Society 13 3/8% Bearing Shares, SEGRO, Team Internet Group , Thorpe (F.W.)

TRADING ANNOUNCEMENTS

AJ Bell, Dunelm Group, Hays, Rentokil Initial, SEGRO

FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Rio Tinto

FINAL EX-DIVIDEND DATE

AIREA, Antofagasta, Arbuthnot Banking Group, BAE Systems, Baillie Gifford Shin Nippon, Bridgepoint Group (Reg S) , Capital Limited (DI), Costain Group, Croda International, Dowlais Group, Drax Group, Fresnillo, Hvivo, JPMorgan American Inv Trust, JPMorgan US Smaller Co. Inv Tst, Jupiter Fund Management , London Stock Exchange Group, Maven Income & Growth 4 VCT, Merchants Trust, Old Mutual Limited NPV (DI), Quilter, Rathbones Group, Rotork, Serco Group, STV Group, Thungela Resources Limited NPV (DI), Uniphar (CDI), Unite Group, Vanquis Banking Group 20, Vesuvius, Weir Group

Q1

Centamin (DI)

Friday 19 April

INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Thorpe (F.W.)

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Producer Price Index (GER) (07:00)

AGMS

Murray International Trust, Nostrum Oil & Gas , Symphony Environmental Technologies, Uniphar (CDI)

UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

GFK Consumer Confidence (00:01)

Retail Sales (07:00)

FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Heavitree Brewery, Heavitree Brewery 'A' Shares