Friday preview: UK retail sales, US consumer confidence in focus
The market spotlight at the end of the week will be on UK retail sales volumes for February, which are expected to bounce back after crashing during the previous month.
Consensus is for a month-on-month increase of 2.1%, following an 8.2% drop in January, although economists at Barclays are anticipating a much larger 4.2% bounce.
Should Barclays' forecast prove correct, that would see the year-on-year rate of decline in retail sales volumes improve from -5.9% to -1.5%.
Across the Channel meanwhile, Germany's IFO institute is due to release its closely-followed business confidence gauge for March.
Stateside, investors will be trying to take stock of the ongoing rebound in activity as the Department of Commerce releases personal income and spending data for February.
Also due out is a final reading on the University of Michigan's consumer confidence index for March.
Friday 26 March
INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Draper Esprit VCT, Mattioli Woods
QUARTERLY PAYMENT DATE
BP, Diversified Gas & Oil, Honeycomb Investment Trust, Real Estate Credit Investments Ltd, RM Secured Direct Lending
INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
IFO Business Climate (GER) (09:00)
IFO Current Assessment (GER) (09:00)
IFO Expectations (GER) (09:00)
Personal Consumption Expenditures (US) (12:30)
Personal Income (US) (12:30)
Personal Spending (US) (12:30)
U. of Michigan Confidence (US) (14:00)
GMS
Kape Technologies
FINALS
C&C Group (CDI)
EGMS
Datang International Power Generation Co Ltd.
AGMS
Beazley, CC Japan Income & Growth Trust, Joint Stock Company Kaspi.Kz GDR (Reg S) , PCF Group, Sigma Capital Group
UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
Retail Sales (07:00)
FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Henderson Opportunities Trust, Impax Asset Management Group