Thursday preview: China trade figures, Balfour Beatty in the spotlight

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Financial markets' focus on Thursday will shift to Asia.

Overnight, China's customs administration will release foreign trade figures for November.

Nonetheless, the all-important U.S. non-farm payrolls figures that will be published the next day won't be far from investors' minds.

Against that backdrop, at 1230 GMT consultancy Challenger will release its latest survey data for job cut announcements in November.

An hour later that will be followed by weekly unemployment claims data.

Across the Channel, at 1000 GMT Eurostat will publish readings for euro area employment and GDP covering the third quarter.

On home shores, mortgage lender Halifax will publish house price data for November.

Infrastructure outfit Balfour Beatty will post its third quarter results.

The shares took a hit in late summer. Michael Hewson at CMC Markets attributed to concerns over its order book at the half-year stage.

That was on top of lower margins in support services, as well as disappointment that its full-year guidance was left unchanged.

To that Hewson added the cancellation of the Birmingham to Manchester leg of HS2, for which the outfit was a key contractor.

However, according to Hewson that last drag was offset by the company receiving a slice of any east-west road and rail link improvements across the Pennines.

Thursday 7 December

FINALS

AJ Bell

INTERIMS

SDI Group

AGMs

Asia Dragon Trust, Haydale Graphene Industries, Scottish Oriental Smaller Companies Trust, Nanoco Group, YouGov, Darktrace, Kibo Energy (CDI), Fidelity Emerging Markets Limited Ptg NPV, Essensys, Supermarket Income Reit, GS Chain, Lok'n Store Group, Bioventix

GMs

Kore Potash

FINAL EX-DIVIDEND DATE

London Finance & Investment Group, Redcentric

FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

JPMorgan UK Smaller Companies Investment Trust, Renishaw, DX (Group)

INTERIM EX-DIVIDEND DATE

Speedy Hire, JD Sports Fashion, Mercia Asset Management, Gresham House Energy Storage Fund, British American Inv Trust, Develop North, SDCL Energy Efficiency Income Trust, Harmony Energy Income Trust, Albion Technology & General VCT, VP, NewRiver REIT, LXI Reit, US Solar Fund, Cropper (James), Investec, Amati AIM Vct, BioPharma Credit, US Solar Fund (GBP), Ct Uk Capital and Income Investment Trust, Abrdn Equity Income Trust, Ninety One, Henderson High Income Trust, Pets at Home Group, Alpha Financial Markets Consulting, Supreme, Intermediate Capital Group, Jlen Environmental Assets Group Limited NPV, Cordiant Digital Infrastructure Limited NPV, Next, Celebrus Technologies, Cmc Markets, Aquila Services Group, Seneca Growth Capital Vct B, BioPharma Credit

INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

London Security, Burford Capital NPV (DI), Equals Group

SPECIAL EX-DIVIDEND DATE

BioPharma Credit

QUARTERLY EX-DIVIDEND DATE

Real Estate Credit Investments Ltd, Alpha Real Trust Ltd., Assura, Energean

UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Halifax House Price Index (07:00)

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Industrial Production (GER) (07:00)

Gross Domestic Product (EU) (10:00)

Continuing Claims (US) (13:30)