Thursday preview: US jobless claims, Philly Fed survey in focus

Financial markets' focus on Thursday will continue to be on the US with investors worldwide likely to still be digesting the implications of the prior night's Federal Reserve policy decision.

Against that backdrop, at 1330 BST the Department of Labor will release weekly jobless claims figures.

They are expected to show a drop in first time claims from 376,000 during the prior week to 350,000.

Secondary claims data - which are more closely linked to hiring - also bear watching, as continued declines might help to take some of the sting out of the shift in the Fed's rate hike projections published the night before.

Also due out is the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia's closely-followed regional manufacturing index covering the month of May.

Across the Channel, the only data due out are a reading on German producer prices for May, followed by euro area current account data for April.

No major economic releases are scheduled in the UK.

Further afield, rate-setters in Indonesia and Taiwan are due to meet overnight to decide on policy.

Thursday 17 June

INTERIM EX-DIVIDEND DATE

Gabelli Value Plus Trust , Renew Holdings, Tharisa (DI), Up Global Sourcing Holdings , Witan Investment Trust Plc

QUARTERLY EX-DIVIDEND DATE

Aberdeen Diversified Income and Growth Trust , Brunner Inv Trust, TwentyFour Select Monthly Income Fund Limited , XP Power Ltd. (DI)

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Consumer Price Index (EU) (10:00)

Continuing Claims (US) (13:30)

Initial Jobless Claims (US) (13:30)

Philadelphia Fed Index (US) (13:30)

FINALS

Halfords Group, NextEnergy Solar Fund Limited Red, Record, Renold, Syncona Limited NPV, Volex

AGMS

Aberdeen New Thai Inv Trust, Anpario, BioPharma Credit , Bluejay Mining, BMO Commercial Property Trust Limited, CEIBA Investments Limited NPV, Ceres Power Holdings, Microsaic Systems, Middlefield Canadian Income PCC, Mustang Energy , Petrofac Ltd., RBG Holdings, Shield Therapeutics, Sumo Group , Whitbread

TRADING ANNOUNCEMENTS

Brown (N.) Group, Whitbread

FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Cenkos Securities

FINAL EX-DIVIDEND DATE

3i Infrastructure, Amati AIM Vct , Electrocomponents, Ferrexpo, Fidelity China Special Situations , Forterra, Inspired Energy, Intermediate Capital Group, Land Securities Group, Maven Income & Growth VCT, Pets at Home Group , S&U, Templeton Emerging Markets Inv Trust, TR Property Inv Trust, Warpaint London , Xpediator