Thursday preview: ECB, US jobs data in focus

The market spotlight will be on the European Central Bank as rate-setters in Frankfurt meet to decide on policy.

Economists at Barclays believe the monetary authority will ramp-up its emergency bond buying programme, known as PEPP, by a further €500bn and raise the so-called tiering multiple by ten times.

Indeed, in a research report sent to clients on 29 May they even broached the possibility that they might go further still.

Stateside meanwhile, initial weekly jobless claims data due out at 1330 BST, just as ECB president, Christine Lagarde's presser gets underway are forecast to decline from the 2.123m pace observed during the prior week to 1.75m which would still mark a pace of job destruction roughly twice that seen at the depths of the 2008/09 crisis.

On home shores, the only economic reports due for release are those for car registrations in May and IHS Markit's construction sector Purchasing Managers' Index for May.

Thursday 04 June

INTERIM EX-DIVIDEND DATE

AJ Bell, Albion Technology & General VCT, Artemis VCT, Aviva 8 3/4% Cumulative Irrd Preference 1, Baring Emerging Europe, Blackrock Frontiers Investment Trust, Daily Mail and General Trust A (Non.V), General Accident 'A', Henderson European Focus Trust, Jersey Electricity 'A' Shares, Majedie Investments

QUARTERLY PAYMENT DATE

Unilever

QUARTERLY EX-DIVIDEND DATE

Anglo Pacific Group, Contour Global , HICL Infrastructure , Honeycomb Investment Trust, Premier Global Infrastructure Trust, Raven Property Group 6.5% Red Cnv Pref Shs NPV, Regional REIT Limited, RM Secured Direct Lending, UIL Limited (DI)

FINALS

Allied Minds , Auto Trader Group , Pennon Group, Renewi

ANNUAL REPORT

First Derivatives

SPECIAL EX-DIVIDEND DATE

Artemis VCT, Capital Gearing Trust, Spectra Systems Corporation

AGMS

Arix Bioscience , Calisen , Centralnic Group , Cluff Natural Resources, Elecosoft, Fevertree Drinks, Georgia Capital , Georgia Healthcare Group, Hemogenyx Pharmaceuticals , Hemogenyx Pharmaceuticals , Hemogenyx Pharmaceuticals , Luceco , Pagegroup, Panther Metals, Personal Group Holdings

TRADING ANNOUNCEMENTS

Go-Ahead Group, Oncimmune Holdings

FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Legal & General Group, Seplat Petroleum Development Company (DI), SSP Group

FINAL EX-DIVIDEND DATE

Capital & Regional, Capital Gearing Trust, Cenkos Securities, Ferrexpo, Foresight VCT, Holders Technology, JPMorgan US Smaller Co. Inv Tst, JTC, Judges Scientific, Scottish Mortgage Inv Trust

Q1

PJSC RusHydro ADR