Wednesday preview: US CPI, ECB's Lagarde in the spotlight

Financial markets' focus in the middle of the week will be on a reading for US consumer prices.

Headline inflation is expected to edge higher from 1.2% year-on-year pace in November to 1.3% for December, while at the so-called 'core' level, the rate of CPI gains is expected to slow by one tenth of a percentage point to 1.6%.

Economists at Barclays anticipate that core CPI will pick up to 2.5% in the second quarter of 2021 before slowing towards 1.7% in the back half of the year, a level that economists believe leaves the Federal Reserve ample room to maintain easy monetary policy.

Also due, albeit after the London close, is the Fed's Beige Book, a compendium of anecdotal evidence for activity and policy gathered by the central bank's regional branches which is published roughly two weeks ahead of each of the Fed's rate-setting meetings.

Earlier, at 0900 GMT, the head of the European Central Bank, Christine Lagarde, will participate in a question and answer session at an event hosted by Reuters.

No major economic releases are scheduled in the UK.

Wednesday 13 January

Interims

Kromek Group

Q4

Pagegroup

Trading announcements

Just Eat Takeaway.Com N.V. (CDI), Pagegroup, Persimmon, Big Yellow Group, Sainsbury (J)

AGMs

Octagonal, AB Dynamics

GMs

Real Good Food, Infrastrata

Interim dividend payment data

3i Group, National Grid

Quarterly payment date

Assura

International Economic Announcements

Wholesale Price Index (GER) (07:00)

Industrial Production (EU) (10:00)

MBA Mortgage Applications (US) (12:00)

Consumer Price Index (US) (13:30)

Crude Oil Inventories (US) (15:30)