Friday preview: US and euro area inflation, NatWest Group in the spotlight

Investors' attention at the end of the week will be on a raft of inflation readings on either side of the Atlantic.

Stateside, reports on employment costs, the price deflator for personal consumption expenditures and inflation expectations will all provide additional input as to the task that the Federal Reserve has ahead of itself.

Across the Channel meanwhile, at 1000 GMT, Eurostat will publish preliminary data on euro area consumer prices in April.

Also due out is a report for Eurozone gross domestic product in the first quarter.

On the corporate side of things and for NatWest Group's first quarter results presentation, Michael Hewson, chief market analyst at CMC Markets UK, thinks investors' focus will be on lending patterns to consumers and businesses.

Cash flow wasn't expected to be a problem following the recent sale of its Irish loan books to Permanent TSB. That disposal was also expected to have boosted the lender's capital position.

At the time of its full-year results, Natwest boss guided towards ordinary dividends worth approximately 40% of attributable profit and said that it would distribute at least £1bn in each of 2022 and 2023.

Friday 29 April

INTERIMS

Up Global Sourcing Holdings

INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Grit Real Estate Income Group Limited NPV, The European Smaller Companies Trust, Tristel

QUARTERLY PAYMENT DATE

BlackRock Sustainable American Income Trust, BMO Private Equity Trust, Ediston Property Investment Company, Marble Point Loan Financing Limited NPV, Middlefield Canadian Income PCC, Real Estate Investors, Value and Indexed Property Income Trust

QUARTERLY EX-DIVIDEND DATE

Seplat Energy (DI)

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Chicago PMI (US) (14:45)

GDP (Preliminary) (EU) (10:00)

GDP (Preliminary) (GER) (07:00)

Import Price Index (GER) (07:00)

M3 Money Supply (EU) (07:00)

Personal Consumption Expenditures (US) (13:30)

Personal Income (US) (13:30)

Personal Spending (US) (13:30)

U. of Michigan Confidence (US) (15:00)

SPECIAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Greggs, Quartix Technologies, Rotala

AGMS

AstraZeneca, BBGI Global Infrastructure S.A. NPV (DI), Greencoat Renewables (CDI), Holders Technology, HSBC Holdings, JPMorgan Claverhouse Inv Trust, Kingspan Group (CDI), Minoan Group, Pearson, Photo-Me International, Rotork, Smurfit Kappa Group (CDI), Travis Perkins

TRADING ANNOUNCEMENTS

Rotork, Smurfit Kappa Group (CDI), Travis Perkins

UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Nationwide House Price Index (07:00)

FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

CLS Holdings, Globaldata, Kitwave Group, Quartix Technologies, RM, Wynnstay Group

Q1

AstraZeneca, NATWEST GROUP PLC ORD 100P, OMV Petrom S.A. GDR (REG S)