Wednesday preview: UK GDP, Balfour Beatty in the spotlight

dl balfour beatty infrastructure engineering electricity power pylon ftse 250 min — Balfour BeattyCompany photo / Balfour Beatty

Financial markets' attention in the middle of the week will be on a reading for UK gross domestic product during the month of January.

FTSE All-Share

4,475.55

16:49 17/12/24

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Forecasts are that GDP expanded by 0.2% versus December following the 0.1% dip during the previous month.

The data will be released at 0700 GMT. Later in the day, NIESR will publish its estimate for GDP growth in February.

Euro area industrial production is expected to have shrunk at a 1.0% month-on-month pace in January.

No major economic releases are scheduled in the U.S..

On the corporate side of things meanwhile, Balfour Beatty will post its full-year numbers.

UBS analyst Gregor Kuglitsch anticipates that the infrastructure group will report total sales of approximately £9.1bn for 2% growth over the past 12 months.

However, profit before tax and exceptionals is seen falling 12% to £257m.

On that same basis, earnings per share are expected to have fallen by a quarter to 35.7p.

Looking out to 2024, the analyst sees sales of £8.9bn and profit from operations of £233m.

Wednesday 13 March

INTERIMS

Seraphim Space Investment Trust, Supermarket Income Reit

INTERIM EX-DIVIDEND DATE

Dunelm Group

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Crude Oil Inventories (US) (14:30)

MBA Mortgage Applications (US) (11:00)

Vaalco Energy, Inc (DI)

GMS

Heiq

FINALS

4Imprint Group, Advanced Medical Solutions Group, Balfour Beatty, Centaur Media, Ferrexpo, IP Group, Nexteq, PensionBee Group , Public Policy Holding Company, Inc.(DI), The Gym Group, Vaalco Energy, Inc (DI)

AGMS

Safestore Holdings

UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Balance of Trade (07:00)

Gross Domestic Product (07:00)

Index of Services (07:00)

Industrial Production (07:00)

Manufacturing Production (07:00)

FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Tharisa (DI)