Friday preview: Global PMIs, UK consumer confidence in focus
Financial markets' focus at the end of the week will be on a raft of purchasing managers' surveys scheduled for release in the UK, euro area and US.
Of key interest will be whether they reveal any impact from the recent heightened tensions in global banking.
S&P Global's composite PMI for the UK, which covered both manufacturing and services, was expected to dip from 53.1 to 52.8.
Similar outcomes were anticipated in the case of the euro area and US.
The UK PMI was due out at 0930 GMT, that in the euro area at 0900 GMT and the US one at 1345 GMT.
Also scheduled for release on home shores, just after midnight, was consultancy GfK's consumer confidence gauge for March.
At 0930 GMT as well, the Office for National Statistics would publish retail sales figures for February.
Stateside, durable goods orders data for February would be published at 1230 GMT.
In the background, investors would be keeping close tabs on all things having to do with banking, especially as pertained to the most vulnerable regional lenders in the US.
Friday 24 March
INTERIMS
Smiths Group, Wetherspoon (J.D.)
INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Berkeley Group Holdings (The), Heath (Samuel) & Sons, Mattioli Woods
QUARTERLY PAYMENT DATE
Real Estate Credit Investments Ltd
INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
Durable Goods Orders (US) (12:30)
GMS
Midatech Pharma
FINALS
Ceres Power Holdings
SPECIAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Riverstone Credit Opportunities Income
EGMS
SME Credit Realisation Fund Limited NPV
AGMS
Crestchic, Faron Pharmaceuticals Oy (DI), Kitwave Group
UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
GFK Consumer Confidence (00:01)
Retail Sales (07:00)
FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Henderson Opportunities Trust, Hercules Site Services