Week ahead: US data, global manufacturing in focus

A raft of economic data will be released over the coming week, despite the Christmas holidays, particularly Stateside.

Among the key indicators to watch out for in the US will be a reading on durable goods orders in the month of November and MNI's regional Chicago Purchasing Managers' Index, with the latter likely to be of increasing interest going forwards in the wake of jet manufacturer Boeing's recent woes.

Those two reports were set to arrive amid a backdrop of data throwing off "mixed" signals regarding a stabilisation in global manufacturing "prior to the various uncertainty-reducing geopolitical developments that occurred earlier this month", said analysts at Barclays Research.

"The latest developments highlight that uncertainties will likely continue to create headwinds for global demand. In the UK, newly re-elected PM Johnson vowed to push for an aggressive Brexit timetable, seemingly reviving some risk of a non-negotiated outcome," Barclays continued.

"With global demand conditions still on the soft side, we anticipate rate cuts by a number of EM central banks in the coming months, with risks skewing toward further easing."

Across the Channel meanwhile, Thursday will see German retail sales figures for November and a reading on Spanish third quarter gross domestic product.

Further afield, Friday will bring with it reports on core consumer prices in Tokyo during the month of December and for industrial production in Japan in November.

Investors will also be monitoring events on the Korean peninsula ahead of Pyongyang's self-chosen year end deadline for the international community to unilaterally relax its economic sanctions against it.

Monday 23 December

INTERIMS

Zoetic International

INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Alpha Financial Markets Consulting

QUARTERLY PAYMENT DATE

Kosmos Energy (DI)

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

New Homes Sales (US) (15:00)

GMS

Trufin, Trufin

AGMS

Mila Resources, Webis Holdings

FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Finsbury Food Group

Tuesday 24 December

INTERIM EX-DIVIDEND DATE

BT Group, Dart Group, Dixons Carphone , Halma, Morses Club

QUARTERLY EX-DIVIDEND DATE

Aberdeen Diversified Income and Growth Trust , British American Tobacco, Duke Royalty Limited

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Durable Goods Orders (US) (13:30)

SPECIAL EX-DIVIDEND DATE

Electra Private Equity, Naked Wines

FINAL EX-DIVIDEND DATE

Bovis Homes Group, Grainger, JPMorgan Chinese Inv Trust, JPMorgan Japanese Inv Trust

Wednesday 25 December

No results scheduled

Thursday 26 December

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Continuing Claims (US) (13:30)

Crude Oil Inventories (US) (16:00)

Initial Jobless Claims (US) (13:30)

Friday 27 December

INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Capital & Regional, Record

QUARTERLY PAYMENT DATE

Honeycomb Investment Trust, Premier Global Infrastructure Trust, RM Secured Direct Lending, Volta Finance Limited, Volta Finance Limited NPV (GBP)

SPECIAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

RM Secured Direct Lending

AGMS

Agriterra LD, Eco (Atlantic) Oil & Gas NPV (DI)

UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

BBA Mortgage Lending Figures (09:30)

FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

DFS Furniture