Thursday preview: Philly Fed index, Fed speak in focus

Of key importance will be the results of the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia's manufacturing sector survey for the month of October.

Scheduled for release alongside are weekly jobless claims figures at 1330 BST, followed by a report on existing home sales in September and the Conference Board's index of leading economic indicators at 1500 BST.

Multiple Fed speakers are also scheduled to take to the podium from 1830 BST onwards.

Across the Channel, at 0700 BST the German Ministry of Finance will publish producer price data for the month of September.

It will be followed three quarter of an hour later by survey results on France's business climatein October and at 0900 BST by euro area current account data for August.

No major economic releases are scheduled in the UK.

Further afield, in Asia, rate-setters in Beijing will meet to decide on the one-year loan prime rate.

Consensus is that it will be kept steady at 3.65%.

Central bankers in Jakarta are also due to meet with expectations being for a 50 basis point hike in the seven-day reverse repurchase rate to 4.75%.

Thursday 20 October

INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Bank of Georgia Group, BBGI Global Infrastructure S.A. NPV (DI), Gamma Communications, Melrose Industries, Panther Securities

INTERIM EX-DIVIDEND DATE

Amati AIM Vct , Animalcare Group, BAE Systems, Coats Group, Gemfields Group Limited, ITV, Lookers, Marshalls, Octopus Apollo VCT, Shanta Gold Ltd., STM Group

QUARTERLY PAYMENT DATE

Aberdeen Diversified Income and Growth Trust

QUARTERLY EX-DIVIDEND DATE

JpMorgan China Growth & Income , M Winkworth

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Continuing Claims (US) (13:30)

Continuing Claims (US) (07:00)

Current Account (EU) (09:00)

Current Account (EU) (07:00)

Existing Home Sales (US) (13:30)

Existing Home Sales (US) (15:00)

Initial Jobless Claims (US) (07:00)

Initial Jobless Claims (US) (13:30)

Philadelphia Fed Index (US) (13:30)

Producer Price Index (GER) (07:00)

Q3

Nokia OYJ

GMS

DX (Group)

FINALS

Nanoco Group

SPECIAL EX-DIVIDEND DATE

BioPharma Credit

EGMS

SDIC Power Holdings Co.,Ltd GDR (Reg S)

AGMS

Abrdn UK Smaller Companies Growth Trust, Argo Group Ltd., Dechra Pharmaceuticals, Gateley (Holdings)

TRADING ANNOUNCEMENTS

AJ Bell, Dechra Pharmaceuticals, Dunelm Group, Relx plc, Rentokil Initial, Travis Perkins

UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

GFK Consumer Confidence (00:01)

FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Diageo, IG Group Holdings

FINAL EX-DIVIDEND DATE

Henderson EuroTrust, PZ Cussons, Smiths Group, The European Smaller Companies Trust