Thursday preview: Bank of England, DS Smith in focus
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All eyes on Thursday will be on the Bank of England.
FTSE 100
8,181.47
16:55 06/09/24
FTSE 350
4,510.61
16:44 06/09/24
FTSE All-Share
4,467.47
17:09 06/09/24
General Industrials
7,709.17
16:44 06/09/24
Smith (DS)
447.20p
17:15 06/09/24
At noon the Monetary Policy Committee is expected to announce a decision to keep Bank Rate unchanged at 5.25% by a vote of 7-2.
Also due out are decisions from the Swiss National Bank and Norges Bank.
Consensus is divided as to whether rate-setters at the former will cut rates by25 basis points to 1.25%, while at the latter they are widely seen at 4.50%.
Across the Channel, some investors may be watching the results of the French Treasury's latest €10.5bn of auctions of between three and eight year debt.
In the States meanwhile, a flurry of economic indicators are due out, including readings for weekly jobless claims, housing starts and the Philly Fed's regional factory index.
DS Smith is among the corporates due to report results on Thursday and UBS was anticipating a better-than-expected performance from the packaging specialist, especially on the topline.
Consensus for the company's second half 2024 sales was for revenues of about £3.54bn, against UBS analyst Andrew Jones's estimate for £3.67bn.
Nevertheless, during the second half of 2023 DS Smith had reported revenues of £3.92bn.
Guidance would be key, Jones said in a research report sent to clients. He was also expecting commentary to be bullish as regards upcoming price increases and better volume growth.
Producers were pushing for large containerboard price hikes, but for those to materialise underlying demand would need to continue its upward trend, he added.
The consensus estimate for the company's earnings before interest, taxes and amortisation was £718m.
Thursday 20 June
INTERIMS
Atrato Onsite Energy
INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Arbuthnot Banking Group, Fidelity Special Values
INTERIM EX-DIVIDEND DATE
AVI Global Trust , Barings Emerging Emea Opportunities , Gooch & Housego, RWS Holdings
QUARTERLY EX-DIVIDEND DATE
Mercantile Investment Trust (The), Patria Private Equity Trust, TwentyFour Select Monthly Income Fund Limited
INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
Building Permits (US) (13:30)
Continuing Claims (US) (13:30)
Current Account (US) (13:30)
Housing Starts (US) (13:30)
Initial Jobless Claims (US) (13:30)
Philadelphia Fed Index (US) (13:30)
Producer Price Index (GER) (07:00)
FINALS
Alpha Financial Markets Consulting, CMC Markets, Cordiant Digital Infrastructure Limited NPV, Smith (DS), Syncona Limited NPV
SPECIAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Arbuthnot Banking Group
SPECIAL EX-DIVIDEND DATE
Castings
EGMS
Marble Point Loan Financing Limited NPV
AGMS
Albion Development VCT, Angling Direct , Anglo Asian Mining, Animalcare Group, Aquila European Renewables (GBP), ASA International Group , Balanced Commercial Property Trust Limited , BlackRock Smaller Companies Trust, Block Energy , Boohoo Group, Card Factory, Concurrent Technologies, Corero Network Security, Fadel Partners, Inc Com Stk Usd0.001 (Di) Regs Cat 3/144A, Finseta, Huatai Securities Co., Ltd GDR (Each Repr 10 A Shs RMB1) (Reg S) , Kingfisher, Kingfisher, Kingfisher, Likewise Group, Lords Group Trading, Northcoders Group , Pantheon Infrastructure , Panther Securities, Strix Group
UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
BoE Interest Rate Minutes (12:00)
FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Aurora Investment Trust, BlackRock Smaller Companies Trust, Gamma Communications, Yu Group
FINAL EX-DIVIDEND DATE
3i Group, Airtel Africa , Animalcare Group, Baillie Gifford China Growth Trust , British Land Company, Fidelity China Special Situations , Flowtech Fluidpower, GB Group, Inspired, Maven Income & Growth VCT, Mitie Group, Persimmon, S&U, Science Group , Tate & Lyle, Templeton Emerging Markets Inv Trust, Touchstar, United Utilities Group, Vianet Group, VP, Wynnstay Properties