Week ahead: US elections take centre stage

The start of the coming week will see the markets in thrall to the results of polling ahead of the 8 November US presidential elections, with traders likely to be keeping tabs on the news-flow over the weekend as well.

According to strategists at Citi, the probability of a Clinton victory stood at roughly 75%, implying a non-negligible chance that Republican party contender Donald Trump might yet come out on top.

Should that be the case, the S&P 500 might see a 'sell-off' ranging between 3% and 5%, with emerging market stocks particularly vulnerable to fears of trade 'protectionism', Citi said in a research report sent to clients.

"Whatever happens, the US is a more divided country," they said.

Chinese trade figures referencing the month of October are also set to be published on that same day, with many analysts keen for more information to be able to determine whether global trade has turned a corner - or not.

Consumer price data for Asia's largest economy are due out on Wednesday and as always hold the potential to sway market pricing on future moves by the People's Bank of China.

Meanwhile, in the UK industrial production and trade balance data for the month of September will dominate the headlines on Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively.

They will be preceded by latest home price survey figures from Halifax, on Monday.

Stateside, the flow of data will be quite sparse, with the main release coming on Friday, in the form of the preliminary reading on US consumer confidence from the University of Michigan's referencing the month of November.

Monday 07 November

INTERIMS
E2V Technologies

INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Cenkos Securities, Manx Telecom , Morrison (Wm) Supermarkets, WPP

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
Consumer Credit (US) (20:00)
Factory Orders (GER) (07:00)
Retail Sales (EU) (10:00)

Q3
OJSC Magnitogorsk Iron & Steel Works GDR (Reg S)

FINALS
Oncimmune Holdings

UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
Halifax House Price Index (08:30)

FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
CPL Resources, Quantum Pharma, Schroder Japan Growth Fund

Tuesday 08 November

INTERIMS
Aveva Group, Grafenia , Marks & Spencer Group

INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Travis Perkins

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
Balance of Trade (GER) (07:00)
Current Account (GER) (07:00)
Industrial Production (GER) (07:00)

FINALS
Associated British Foods, Ceres Power Holdings, Imperial Brands , Imperial Brands , Punch Taverns

IMSS
Direct Line Insurance Group

AGMS
Craneware, Genesis Emerging Markets Fund Ltd Ptg NPV, Global Petroleum Ltd., Ortac Resources Ltd. (DI)

TRADING ANNOUNCEMENTS
Direct Line Insurance Group

UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
Industrial Production (09:30)
Manufacturing Production (09:30)

Wednesday 09 November

INTERIMS
Burberry Group, Experian, Prime People, Sophos Group , SSE, Wizz Air Holdings , Workspace Group

INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Exova Group

INTERIM EX-DIVIDEND DATE
Hargreave Hale AIM VCT 2

QUARTERLY EX-DIVIDEND DATE
IBM Corp.

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
Crude Oil Inventories (US) (15:30)
MBA Mortgage Applications (US) (12:00)
Wholesales Inventories (US) (15:00)

Q3
Arrow Global Group, OMV Petrom S.A. GDR (REG S), PJSC Megafon GDR (Reg S)

AGMS
Hansard Global, Hays, Pacific Horizon Inv Trust, Redrow

UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
Balance of Trade (09:30)

Thursday 10 November

INTERIMS
Auto Trader Group , Dairy Crest Group, Halfords Group, Mediclinic International , Mercia Technologies , National Grid, Vedanta Resources

INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
British American Inv Trust, Ladbrokes Coral Group, Scisys

INTERIM EX-DIVIDEND DATE
First Derivatives, Hadrian's Wall Secured Investments, London Security, NB Distressed Debt Investment Fund Limited, NB Distressed Debt Investment Fund Limited Ext Shs, NB Distressed Debt Investment Fund Limited Red Ord, Panther Securities, Whitbread

QUARTERLY PAYMENT DATE
Merchants Trust

QUARTERLY EX-DIVIDEND DATE
Boeing Co, BP, Brunner Inv Trust, F&C Commercial Property Trust Ltd., Royal Dutch Shell 'A', Royal Dutch Shell 'B'

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
Continuing Claims (US) (13:30)
Crude Oil Inventories (US) (15:30)
Initial Jobless Claims (US) (13:30)

Q3
AstraZeneca, Bank Pekao SA GDS (Reg S), Hellenic Telecom Industries SA ADS

FINALS
Mobile Streams

SPECIAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Photo-Me International

AGMS
Swallowfield, Target Healthcare Reit Ltd, Tlou Energy Limited (DI), Urals Energy Public Co Ltd. (DI)

TRADING ANNOUNCEMENTS
Gem Diamonds Ltd. (DI), Howden Joinery Group

FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Photo-Me International

FINAL EX-DIVIDEND DATE
Abcam, Craneware, DX (Group), Go-Ahead Group, JPMorgan Smaller Companies Inv Trust, Jupiter European Opportunities Trust, Revolution Bars Group, Swallowfield

Friday 11 November

INTERIMS
Castings

INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Charles Taylor, Kingfisher, Restore, Spectris, Spirax-Sarco Engineering

QUARTERLY PAYMENT DATE
British Land Company

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
Consumer Price Index (GER) (07:00)
U. of Michigan Confidence (Prelim) (US) (15:00)
Wholesale Price Index (GER) (07:00)

Q3
Afarak Group (DI), Grupo Clarin SA GDR (Reg S), TBC Bank Group

ANNUAL REPORT
Jupiter US Smaller Companies

SPECIAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Bioventix, River and Mercantile Group

AGMS
Clinigen Group, Galliford Try, Ludgate Environmental Fund Ltd.

TRADING ANNOUNCEMENTS
Alpha Pyrenees Trust Ltd.

FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Bioventix, Daejan Holdings, Hays, Mid Wynd International Inv Trust, Murgitroyd Group, Pacific Horizon Inv Trust, Redrow, Ricardo