Week ahead: UK leadership contest, ECB meeting in focus

Investors' focus over the coming week will be on the results of the UK leadership contest.

A result is expected on 28 October but may arrive as soon as the 24th.

Also on Monday, S&P Global will release the results of its surveys for manufacturing and services sector activity in the euro area, UK and US covering the month of October.

The results are due out on Monday and in the case of the UK are expected to reveal a dip in factory and services sector activity.

The week's other main event will be the European Central Bank's policy meeting on Thursday.

Consensus is for policymakers in Frankfurt to go ahead and hike official short-term interest rates by 75 basis points.

A preliminary reading for third quarter US gross domestic product on Thursday will also draw attention with economists anticipating growth of 2.0% annualised after the 0.6% dip seen over the prior three-month stretch.

That report will be followed on Friday by preliminary readings for French, German and Spanish third quarter GDP.

Friday will also bring with it a reading on the price deflator for US personal consumption expenditures in September as well as the results of the University of Michigan's consumer confidence survey for October, which includes gauges for inflation expectations.

Other central bank policy meetings to look out for over the week include those from the Bank of Canada, on Wednesday, and the Bank of Japan, on Friday.

Monday October 24

INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

HGCapital Trust

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

PMI Composite (EU) (09:00)

PMI Composite (GER) (08:30)

PMI Composite (US) (14:45)

PMI Manufacturing (EU) (09:00)

PMI Manufacturing (GER) (08:30)

PMI Manufacturing (US) (14:45)

PMI Services (EU) (09:00)

PMI Services (GER) (08:30)

PMI Services (US) (14:45)

FINALS

Bioventix, Schroder BSC Social Impact Trust

AGMS

Fintech Asia Limited Npv

UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

PMI Composite (09:30)

PMI Manufacturing (09:30)

PMI Services (09:30)

FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Arcontech Group, Hargreaves Lansdown

Tuesday October 25

QUARTERLY PAYMENT DATE

General Electric Co (CDI)

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Consumer Confidence (US) (15:00)

House Price Index (US) (14:00)

IFO Business Climate (GER) (09:00)

IFO Current Assessment (GER) (09:00)

IFO Expectations (GER) (09:00)

FINALS

Softcat, Tristel

AGMS

Oil & Gas Development Company Ltd GDR (Reg S)

Wednesday October 26

INTERIMS

Bytes Technology Group

INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Midwich Group, Morgan Sindall Group, Smith & Nephew

QUARTERLY PAYMENT DATE

Alpha Real Trust Ltd., Ecora Resources

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Balance of Trade (US) (13:30)

Crude Oil Inventories (US) (15:30)

M3 Money Supply (EU) (09:00)

MBA Mortgage Applications (US) (12:00)

New Homes Sales (US) (15:00)

Wholesales Inventories (US) (13:30)

Q3

Standard Chartered

FINALS

Virgin Wines UK

AGMS

KCR Residential Reit, Mirada, Omega Diagnostics Group

TRADING ANNOUNCEMENTS

Fresnillo, Reckitt Benckiser Group, WPP

Thursday October 27

INTERIMS

Airtel Africa , Airtel Africa , HarbourVest Global Private Equity Limited A Shs

INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Driver Group, Learning Technologies Group

INTERIM EX-DIVIDEND DATE

Balfour Beatty, Headlam Group, Morgan Advanced Materials , Next Fifteen Communications, Sanderson Design Group

QUARTERLY PAYMENT DATE

Law Debenture Corp.

QUARTERLY EX-DIVIDEND DATE

Brunner Inv Trust, City of London Inv Trust, JPMorgan Claverhouse Inv Trust

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Continuing Claims (US) (13:30)

Durable Goods Orders (US) (13:30)

ECB Interest Rate (EU) (13:15)

GFK Consumer Confidence (GER) (07:00)

Gross Domestic Product (US) (13:30)

Initial Jobless Claims (US) (13:30)

Personal Consumption Expenditures (US) (13:30)

Q3

Indivior, Samsung Electronics Co Ltd (ATT) GDR (Reg S), Shell , Shell 'A', Shell 'B', Yamana Gold Inc. NPV (CDI)

IMSS

Lloyds Banking Group

SPECIAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

D4T4 Solutions

AGMS

Alumasc Group, Anglesey Mining, Brooks Macdonald Group, City of London Inv Trust, Filtronic, Ovoca Bio (CDI), PCI-PAL, Real Good Food , South32 Limited (DI) , TheWorks.Co.Uk, Tufton Oceanic Assets Limited NPV

TRADING ANNOUNCEMENTS

Aveva Group, Inchcape, PPHE Hotel Group Ltd, Unilever

FINAL EX-DIVIDEND DATE

Avingtrans, Dechra Pharmaceuticals, Ferguson, Fidelity Asian Values, MJ Gleeson , Mulberry Group, Pacific Horizon Inv Trust, Sylvania Platinum Ltd (DI), Thorpe (F.W.), Wilmington

Friday October 28

INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Barr (A.G.), Belvoir Group, Computacenter, Essentra, Fidelity European Trust, Hunting, Keywords Studios, Mears Group, Petershill Partners , Phoenix Spree Deutschland Limited Shs NPV , Public Policy Holding Company, Inc. (DI) (REG S, CAT3), Rightmove, Safestyle UK , Skillcast Group, Smurfit Kappa Group (CDI), Stelrad Group , Strix Group , Ten Entertainment Group , Unite Group, Videndum

QUARTERLY PAYMENT DATE

Abrdn Private Equity Opportunities Trust, Marble Point Loan Financing Limited NPV, Real Estate Investors, Value and Indexed Property Income Trust

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Consumer Confidence (EU) (10:00)

Consumer Price Index (EU) (13:00)

Economic Sentiment Indicator (EU) (10:00)

GDP (Preliminary) (GER) (07:00)

Industrial Confidence (EU) (10:00)

Pending Homes Sales (US) (15:00)

Personal Consumption Expenditures (US) (13:30)

Personal Income (US) (13:30)

Personal Spending (US) (13:30)

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

Unemployment Rate (GER) (08:55)

Q3

NATWEST GROUP, OMV Petrom S.A. GDR (REG S)

GMS

Capital Metals, Taylor Maritime Investments Limited NPV

AGMS

Investment Company, ITM Power, Kibo Energy (CDI), Mattioli Woods, Tirupati Graphite

TRADING ANNOUNCEMENTS

AIB Group (CDI), ContourGlobal , Industrials Reit Limited

FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Abrdn UK Smaller Companies Growth Trust, Fletcher King, K3 Capital Group , Kainos Group