Week ahead: Brexit talks, Fedspeak in focus

Investors will need to navigate a steady stream of data and potential risk events over the coming week.

Chief amongst those will be the ongoing very tense situation in the Middle East, followed by talks between the UK and the European Union regarding the post-Brexit trading relationship.

Against that backdrop, investors will be keeping a close eye on data on employment in Britain, for February, and consumer prices and retail sales in March.

Just behind on trader's minds in importance will be the incoming news-flow around the ongoing trade talks between the US on one side and Beijing and its NAFTA partners on the other.

One crucial aspect of UK labour data on Tuesday and inflation numbers the day, will be whether prices have been overtaken by wages. After a long squeeze on household budgets, official figures this week are set to show pay increased by 2.9% in the 12 months to February, while the consumer prices index is seen slowing to 2.6% from 2.7% a month before.

Stateside, perhaps the most important thing to keep an eye on will be the multiple speeches scheduled for throughout the week from at least seven Fed speakers, which will probably go a long way towards helping markets gauge the current state of thinking among rate-setters in the US.

Data-wise, the main release on the other side of the Pond will be the monthly US retail sales report on Monday and the Philly Fed's regional manufacturing gauge for April, on Thursday.

Tuesday is also expected to bring with it readings of China's retail sales, GDP, fixed asset investment and industrial production.

Starting from Monday markets will also be monitoring the IMF and World Bank Spring meetings taking place in Washington DC.

In company news, a Tuesday sees finals from AA and JD Sports, interims from Associated British Foods and quarterlies from Rio Tinto and Ashmore Group; Wednesday has trading statements from BHP Billiton, Bunzl, Countryside Properties, Jupiter Fund Management, Moneysupermarket.com, RELX, SEGRO and Telford Homes; Thursday's schedule includes half-year results from Debenhams and quarterlies from Acacia Mining, Essentra, Rentokil, Sky and Unilever; with Kingspan and Reckitt the highlight on a quieter Friday.

Of note will be Countryside’s assessment of current housing market conditions, which could move the entire sector.

Debenhams is also likely to get plenty of attention amid the wider high street challenges and after the acceleration of its restructuring plans in February. Chief executive Sergio Bucher, who was poached from Amazon just over a year ago, in January also warned on 2018 profits due to tough festive trading and expectations of a continued competitive and volatile retail market this year.

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)

FINALS

Shanta Gold Ltd.

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)

GMS

Informa, UBM

FINALS

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

DRILLING REPORT

Rio Tinto

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), Porvair

TRADING ANNOUNCEMENTS

Ashmore Group, Porvair

UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Unemployment Rate (09:30)
Claimant Count Rate (09:30)
Average earnings (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, Purplebricks Group

FINALS

Be Heard Group, GYG, Mercantile Investment Trust (The)

ANNUAL REPORT

Mercantile Investment Trust (The), Property Franchise Group

DRILLING REPORT

BHP Billiton, Hochschild Mining, Polymetal International

SPECIAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

VinaLand Ltd

SPECIAL EX-DIVIDEND DATE

Stadium Group

AGMS

88 Energy Limited (DI), Bunzl, European Assets Trust , 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

Bunzl, Chamberlin, Countryside Properties, Jupiter Fund Management , Mediclinic International , Primary Health 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, British Smaller Companies VCT, Northamber, SCS Group

QUARTERLY EX-DIVIDEND DATE

Ediston Property Investment Company, Honeycomb Investment Trust, Merchants Trust, TwentyFour Select Monthly Income Fund Limited

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, Amiad Water Systems Ltd, 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