Week ahead: Athens has the word

Most professional investors will remain away from their computers and trading screens over the coming week. Nevertheless, there is at least one risk event which they will likely be keeping close tabs on, the last round of the Greek presidential elections.

Should that country´s parliamentarians fail to elect a new head of state by a sufficient majority, then Athens will be forced call ´snap´ elections. Up until recently such a possibility was considered unlikely.

Also out during the week will be a spate of survey readings on the state of the manufacturing sector worldwide, in the US, the UK, the Eurozone and in China.

It is data from those last two geographies which would seem to hold the largest potential to cause mischief in capital markets.

The latest manufacturing sector purchasing managers´ index (PMI) data in Britain will also merit close reading given the recent weaker than expected print on GDP. Likewise, the latest figures from Halifax on UK house prices will be closely watched as investors attempt to gauge the extent of the recent softening seen in that market.

Monday 29 December

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
Third and final round of Greek Presidential elections

INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Investec

INTERIM EX-DIVIDEND DATE
Acal, BT Group, Burberry Group, Ensor Holdings, Halma, KCOM Group, Vertu Motors, WYG

QUARTERLY EX-DIVIDEND DATE
British Assets Trust, Mercantile Investment Trust (The), Schroder Income Growth Fund

SPECIAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Canadian General Investments Ltd.

EGMS
Zhejiang Expressway Co 'H' Shares

AGMS
Frontier IP Group, Frontier Mining Ltd (DI), Pantheon Resources

FINAL EX-DIVIDEND DATE
Alternative Networks, Cambria Automobiles, Grainger, Hargreave Hale AIM VCT 1, Henderson Value Trust, Jelf Group, Schroder UK Mid Cap Fund, Topps Tiles

Tuesday 30 December

INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Edge Performance VCT 'E' Shares, Helical Bar, Palace Capital , Rensburg AIM VCT

QUARTERLY PAYMENT DATE
F&C Commercial Property Trust Ltd.

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
Balance of Payments (GER) (07:00)
Consumer Confidence (US) (15:00)
M3 Money Supply (EU) (09:00)
S&P/ Case-Shiller 20-city house price index (US)
Preliminary HICP (SP) (08:00)

GMS
African Consolidated Resources

EGMS
Lyxor Focus Fund (GBP) Ltd.

AGMS
EastPharma Ltd GDR (Reg S)

FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
PXP Vietnam Fund Ltd.

UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
Nationwide house price index (Dec) (07:00)

Wednesday 31 December

INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Clipper Logistics , James Halstead 5.5% Cumulative Preference 1, MS International, Plastics Capital, Sirius Real Estate Ltd.

QUARTERLY PAYMENT DATE
Custodian Reit , HICL Infrastructure Company Ltd, MedicX Fund Ltd., Premier Energy & Water Trust, Raven Russia Ltd. Cum Red Pref Shares, Real Estate Credit Investments PCC Ltd, Real Estate Credit Investments PCC Ltd Pref Shs , Roy.Bk.Scot S1£ Ser 1 Non Cum £ Pref Shs

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
Chicago PMI (US) (14:45)
Crude Oil Inventories (US) (15:30)
MBA Mortgage Applications (US) (12:00)
Pending Homes Sales (US) (15:00)
Initial weekly jobless claims (US) (13:30)

SPECIAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Premier Energy & Water Trust

EGMS
STM Group

AGMS
Secure Property Development & Investment (DI), Ten Alps

FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Aviva 8 3/4% Cumulative Irrd Preference 1, Royal Bank of Scotland 11% Cum. Prf, Royal Bank of Scotland 5.5% Cum. Prf., Royal bank of Scotland Non-Cum Stlg Pref Shs, Royal Bank of Scotland Ser 1 Non Cum Eur Prf (Reg S), Royal Bank of Scotland Ser 1 Non-Cum Eur Prf (144a)

FINAL EX-DIVIDEND DATE
BBA Aviation 5% Cum Prf

Thursday 01 January

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
NBS Manufacturing sector PMI (CH) (08:00)

FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
General Accident 'A'

Friday 02 January

INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Bunzl, Castings, Fuller Smith & Turner, Great Portland Estates, Headlam Group, Hogg Robinson Group, Homeserve, Next, Sainsbury (J), Slingsby H.C, Tate & Lyle, Value and Income Trust, VP

INTERIM EX-DIVIDEND DATE
Aveva Group, Dart Group, Dixons Carphone , Downing Structured Opportunities VCT 1 'D' Shares, F&C Global Smaller Companies, Micro Focus International

QUARTERLY EX-DIVIDEND DATE
CQS Diversified Fund Ltd Ord NPV £, Torchmark Corp.

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
Construction Spending (US) (15:00)
ISM Manufacturing (US) (15:00)
ISM Prices Paid (US) (15:00)
PMI Manufacturing (EU) (09:00)
PMI Manufacturing (GER) (08:55)

SPECIAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Rights & Issues Inv Trust Capital Shares

AGMS
DP Aircraft I Limited Pref

TRADING ANNOUNCEMENTS
Mcbride, Next

UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
PMI Manufacturing (09:30)

FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
A&J Mucklow Group

FINAL EX-DIVIDEND DATE
Baring Emerging Europe, Henderson European Focus Trust, Proactis Holdings, Scottish Inv Trust