Wednesday preview: FOMC minutes, CPI figures in focus

Global trade relations (and events in Syria) permitting, the focus on Wednesday will be on the release of the minutes of the US central bank's last policy meeting.

Following two-days of deliberations, on 20-21 March, rate-setters at the Federal Reserve guided towards two more quarter-of-a-percentage-point interest rate hikes over the course of 2018, but appeared to leave the door ajar for as many as three hikes and modestly raised its medium-term forecasts for rate hikes.

More recently however, some economists have ventured the possibility that policy rates should not be raised that much nor at such a pace, at least not beyond 2018.

Hence, the details of policymakers deliberations will likely garner substantial interest.

The meeting minutes of the Federal Open Market Committee will be preceded by US consumer price data for March, which are expected to show a pick-up in CPI from a 2.1% pace in February to a 2.3% clip last month.

CPI data are also due to be published overnight in China.

Against that backdrop, a slew of economic reports are scheduled for release in the UK, including readings for construction output, industrial production and foreign trade in March.

The flow of data out of the euro area on the other hand is expected to be quite light, although a speech from European Central Bank chair Mario Draghi at 1300 BST might warrant monitoring, although the venue, at a student award ceremony in Frankfurt, is perhaps less than ideal as a forum for any substantive messages on monetary policy.

Monday April 16

INTERIMS

Avacta Group, Carr's Group

INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

National Westminster 9%pf

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Business Inventories (US) (15:00)

Retail Sales (US) (13:30)

ANNUAL REPORT

Legal & General Group

SPECIAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Ferrexpo

FINAL EX-DIVIDEND DATE

Sagicor Financial Corporation Limited (DI)

Tuesday April 17

INTERIMS

APC Technology Group, Associated British Foods, Egdon Resources, Egdon Resources

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Building Permits (US) (13:30)

Capacity Utilisation (US) (14:15)

Housing Starts (US) (13:30)

Industrial Production (US) (14:15)

ZEW Survey (EU) (10:00)

ZEW Survey (GER) (10:00)

FINALS

AFI Development, Christie Group, Clearstar Inc. (DI), Filta Group Holdings, Flowtech Fluidpower, JD Sports Fashion, Mi-Pay Group, TP Group

SPECIAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Dragon-Ukrainian Properties & Development

EGMS

Societatea Nationala De Gaze Naturale Romgaz S.A. GDR (Reg S)

AGMS

Cloudbuy, Dialight, MD Medical Group Investments GDR (Reg S)

UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Claimant Count Rate (09:30)

Wednesday April 18

INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

JPMorgan Mid Cap Inv Trust

QUARTERLY PAYMENT DATE

Assura , SQN Asset Finance Income Fund Limited

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Consumer Price Index (EU) (10:00)

Crude Oil Inventories (US) (15:30)

MBA Mortgage Applications (US) (12:00)

Wholesale Price Index (GER) (07:00)

GMS

Harwood Wealth Management Group

FINALS

Be Heard Group, GYG

SPECIAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

VinaLand Ltd

SPECIAL EX-DIVIDEND DATE

Stadium Group

AGMS

88 Energy Limited (DI), Bunzl, Green Energy Technology Inc. GDR (Reg S), Harwood Wealth Management Group, Hunting, JPMorgan Claverhouse Inv Trust, Petards Group, Primary Health Properties, RTC Group, TOC Property Backed Lending Trust

TRADING ANNOUNCEMENTS

Countryside Properties, Relx plc, SEGRO, Telford Homes

UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Consumer Price Index (09:30)

Producer Price Index (09:30)

Retail Price Index (09:30)

Thursday April 19

INTERIMS

Gattaca

INTERIM EX-DIVIDEND DATE

Barratt Developments, Northamber, SCS Group

QUARTERLY EX-DIVIDEND DATE

Merchants Trust

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Continuing Claims (US) (13:30)

Initial Jobless Claims (US) (13:30)

Philadelphia Fed Index (US) (13:30)

Q3

Sky

GMS

Arabian Food Industries Company Domty S.A.E. GDR (Reg S), Candover Investments

FINALS

Camellia, Hvivo, Xeros Technology Group

ANNUAL REPORT

North Midland Construction

SPECIAL EX-DIVIDEND DATE

Bodycote, John Laing Group

AGMS

Domino's Pizza Group, Essentra, Essentra, Herald Investment Trust, IDOX, MPAC Group, Relx plc, RM Secured Direct Lending, Sampo OYJ, Science Group , SEGRO, Stratex International

TRADING ANNOUNCEMENTS

Rentokil Initial

UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Current Account (EU) (09:00)

Retail Sales (09:30)

FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Law Debenture Corp., Low & Bonar

FINAL EX-DIVIDEND DATE

AFH Financial Group , Aggreko, BAE Systems, Balfour Beatty, Bank of Ireland Group , BBGI SICAV S.A. (DI), Belvoir Lettings, Bodycote, Capital & Counties Properties , Capital & Regional, Communisis, Drax Group, Fevertree Drinks, Global Ports Holding, Greggs, Informa, Inmarsat, Intu Properties, John Laing Group , Kerry Group 'A' Shares, Lloyds Banking Group, M. P. Evans Group, Marble Point Loan Financing Limited NPV, McColl's Retail Group , Octopus AIM VCT 2, Pendragon, Polypipe Group , Property Franchise Group, Rathbone Brothers, RPS Group, Science Group , Standard Life Aberdeen, Taptica International (DI), Tyman, UBM, Vitec Group, Wood Group (John), Zotefoams

Friday April 20

INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Bioventix, Craneware, Go-Ahead Group, Origin Enterprises

QUARTERLY PAYMENT DATE

XP Power Ltd. (DI)

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Producer Price Index (GER) (07:00)

IMSS

Reckitt Benckiser Group

SPECIAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Somero Enterprises Inc. (DI)

AGMS

Bank of Ireland (Governor & Company Of The) Non-Cum Prf 'A' Liquidation, Bank of Ireland Group , Byblos Bank SAL GDR (Reg S), HSBC Holdings, PAO Novatek GDR (Reg S)

TRADING ANNOUNCEMENTS

Record

FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Chemring Group, Heavitree Brewery, Heavitree Brewery 'A' Shares, IDOX, Somero Enterprises Inc. (DI), XLMedia