Wednesday preview: Marks and Spencer, British Land in the spotlight

Investors' focus on Wednesday will be on UK corporate results with tier one economic data releases on Wednesday's economic calendar scarce across the globe.

Indeed, no major economic releases are scheduled on home shores nor across the Pond in the US.

However, the chief executive officers of seven of the largest Wall Street firms are scheduled to testify before the US Senate's Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, starting from 1500 BST.

In Euroland, the main data releases will be readings on the business climate and consumer confidence in France, both for the month of May.

On the other side of the world, policymakers at the Reserve Bank of New Zealand will be meeting to decide on interest rates.

That dearth of data will leave the market spotlight firmly on Marks and Spencer as its publishes its full-year results.

Investors will be looking to see to what extent management's guidance at the end of its third quarter for "challenging" conditions to persist was borne out, says Michael Hewson, chief market analyst at CMC Markets UK.

British Land is also due to disclose its financials for its recently-ended full-year o investors.

In particular, UBS's Osmaan Malik says he will be looking to hear whether the company has anything to say around its recent entry into the urban logistics asset class and plans for the future.

He also said he was keen to see how the firm's retail portfolio had fared, given its higher exposure to retail parks.

Other points of special interest for Malik were a possible update on Canada Water and urban logistics development opportunities in Meadowhall and Teesside.

Wednesday 26 May

INTERIMS

Auction Technology Group , Oxford Metrics

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Crude Oil Inventories (US) (15:30)

MBA Mortgage Applications (US) (12:00)

FINALS

ASA International Group , Biffa, De La Rue, Marks & Spencer Group, Mediclinic International , SSE

AGMS

Anglo Pacific Group, Bango, China Yangtze Power Co., Ltd GDR (Reg S) , Coca-Cola Europacific Partners (DI), Deltic Energy , En+ Group International Public Joint-Stock Company GDR (Reg S), Equiniti Group , Eve Sleep PLC, HICL Infrastructure , Intertek Group, Judges Scientific, Keywords Studios, M&G, Playtech, Rambler Metals & Mining, Sherborne Investors (Guernsey) 'B' Limited, Zotefoams

TRADING ANNOUNCEMENTS

Intertek Group

FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Genuit Group, London Stock Exchange Group, Sanne Group