Week ahead: UK GDP, EU leaders' summit, US earnings in focus

The focus over the coming week will be on reports covering gross domestic product and the labour market in May.

At 0930 BST on Tuesday, the Office for National Statistics will release its monthly GDP indicator, with Barclays Research anticipating that the data will reveal an 11.0% rally following April's 20.4% plunge in activity, helped by a rebound for construction and manufacturing.

That will be followed by data out on Thursday which is expected to show a sharp slowdown in the pace of job losses, despite which the unemployment rate is expected to climb from 3.9% to 4.2% and wages are seen shrinking.

In the background, Chinese foreign trade data for June, scheduled for release on Tuesday, will be closely watched.

So too a raft of activity indicators for fixed asset investment, industrial production, retail sales and for gross domestic product due out on Thursday.

The latter is expected to show that China's economy began growing again at the end of the quarter.

More important however may be the result of the EU heads of state summit, which will start on Thursday, where the bloc's leaders will attempt to thrash out the details of a proposed €750.0bn reconstruction fund.

Stateside, the consensus forecast is that consumer price figures on Tuesday will reveal a rebound in headline inflation from a 0.1% year-on-year rate of increase in May to 0.6% for June.

To take note of, Citigroup will kick-off the US second quarter earnings season on Tuesday.

A closely-followed survey of small-business confidence due out that same day may also merit watching, given the possible implications for hiring across the country.

Fortunately, Barclays anticipates that the weekly jobless claims due out on Thursday will show a further modest improvement in the American jobs market.

Also on Thursday, policymakers at the European Central Bank and in South Korea are due to meet to decide on interest rates.

On Friday, the University of Michigan will release its preliminary reading for US consumer confidence in July.

Monday 13 July

Q2

Centamin (DI)

FINALS

RUA Life Sciences

EGMS

FastForward Innovations Limited

AGMS

Mind Gym, Polarean Imaging, Starcom

FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

3i Infrastructure, Plus500 Ltd (DI)

Tuesday 14 July

INTERIMS

McColl's Retail Group , Ocado Group, Synectics

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Consumer Price Index (GER) (07:00)

Consumer Price Index (US) (13:30)

Industrial Production (EU) (10:00)

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

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

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

GMS

easyJet

FINALS

AO World, Halma, Mercia Technologies , Motorpoint Group, Polar Capital Technology Trust

ANNUAL REPORT

Polar Capital Technology Trust

AGMS

Bluerock Diamonds, Filta Group Holdings, Great Western Mining Corporation, HICL Infrastructure , QinetiQ Group, Shires Income, Wynnstay Properties

TRADING ANNOUNCEMENTS

Mcbride

UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Balance of Trade (07:00)

Gross Domestic Product (07:00)

Index of Services (07:00)

Industrial Production (07:00)

Manufacturing Production (07:00)

FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Pets at Home Group

Wednesday 15 July

INTERIMS

McCarthy & Stone

INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Witan Investment Trust Plc

INTERIM EX-DIVIDEND DATE

Leeds Building Society 13 3/8% Bearing Shares

QUARTERLY PAYMENT DATE

Assura

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Capacity Utilisation (US) (14:15)

Crude Oil Inventories (US) (15:30)

Import and Export Price Indices (US) (13:30)

Industrial Production (US) (14:15)

MBA Mortgage Applications (US) (12:00)

AGMS

Air Partner, Air Partner, Biotech Growth Trust (The), Burberry Group, Danakali Limited NPV, JPMorgan European Inv Trust Growth Shares, Octopus AIM VCT, Palace Capital , Severn Trent, Thalassa Holdings Ltd. (DI), Zaim Credit Systems

TRADING ANNOUNCEMENTS

Burberry Group

UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Consumer Price Index (07:00)

Producer Price Index (07:00)

Retail Price Index (07:00)

Thursday 16 July

INTERIMS

K3 Business Technology Group

INTERIM EX-DIVIDEND DATE

Character Group, Oxford Technology 4 Venture Capital Trust, Triple Point VCT 2011 Venture, Unicorn AIM VCT

QUARTERLY PAYMENT DATE

Total SA

QUARTERLY EX-DIVIDEND DATE

Ediston Property Investment Company, Supermarket Income Reit, TwentyFour Select Monthly Income Fund Limited

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Balance of Trade (EU) (10:00)

Business Inventories (US) (15:00)

Continuing Claims (US) (13:30)

ECB Interest Rate (EU) (12:45)

Initial Jobless Claims (US) (13:30)

Retail Sales (US) (13:30)

FINALS

Invinity Energy Systems

AGMS

Biffa, Blackstone/GSO Loan Financing Limited, BT Group, Electrocomponents, Evgen Pharma, Foresight Solar Fund Limited, Marshall Motor Holdings, Oracle Power , Renewi , Tiziana Life Sciences, TP Group, Trackwise Designs

TRADING ANNOUNCEMENTS

Hays, SSE

UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Claimant Count Rate (07:00)

Unemployment Rate (07:00)

FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Air China Ltd., Charles Stanley Group

FINAL EX-DIVIDEND DATE

Anpario, Castings, Gabelli Value Plus Trust , Immunodiagnostic Systems Holdings, MS International, Steppe Cement Ltd, Tatton Asset Management , Volex

Friday 17 July

INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Impax Asset Management Group, RWS Holdings

QUARTERLY PAYMENT DATE

Alpha Real Trust Ltd., Regional REIT Limited

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Building Permits (US) (13:30)

Consumer Price Index (EU) (10:00)

Housing Starts (US) (13:30)

U. of Michigan Confidence (Prelim) (US) (15:00)

FINALS

Caffyns

SPECIAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Capital Gearing Trust

AGMS

DCC, Homeserve

UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

GFK Consumer Confidence (00:10)

FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Anglo-Eastern Plantations, Capital Gearing Trust, Severn Trent, Tclarke , Templeton Emerging Markets Inv Trust