Week ahead: Elections and US non-farm payrolls in focus

Without out a doubt next week’s main event, both at home and abroad, will be the result of the UK elections, given the current debate regarding the future of Britain within the European Union and the country’s weight geopolitically.

The result of the electoral contest remains too close to call with just under a week to go, with a coalition or minority Conservative or Labour government thought to be the most likely outcomes. The uncertainty which may unfold after the elections could well weigh on economic activity domestically.

Some observers believe that a re-run of the elections is a real possibility.

The above aside, the US non-farm payrolls report on Friday will be the most closely watched piece of economic data. Markets will be anxious to avoid a repeat of March’s surprisingly weak reading on the state of the US labour market.

Final readings on the Eurozone’s manufacturing and service sector purchasing managers’ indices (PMI), courtesy of Markit, which are scheduled for release on Monday and Wednesday, will also be closely monitored.

Monday 4 May

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
Factory Orders (US) (15:00)
Goods Orders (US) (15:00)
PMI Manufacturing (EU) (09:00)
PMI Manufacturing (GER) (08:55)
Retail Sales (GER) (07:00)

GMS
Argos Resources Ltd. (DI)

FINALS
DDD Group

AGMS
PJSC Magnit GDR (REG S)

Tuesday 5 May

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
Balance of Trade (US) (13:30)
ISM Non-Manufacturing (US) (15:00)
ISM Services (US) (15:00)
Producer Price Index (EU) (10:00)

GMS
Bioquell

EGMS
JSC Kazkommertsbank GDR (Reg S)

AGMS
BG Group, Burford Capital , DP Poland, GVC Holdings, Henderson High Income Trust, Macfarlane Group, Nokia OYJ, Randgold Resources Ltd., Sherborne Investors (Guernsey) 'B' (Reg S), Spirent Communications, Stratex International

TRADING ANNOUNCEMENTS
Greene King

UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
PMI Construction (09:30)

FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Nichols

Wednesday 6 May

INTERIMS
Sage Group

QUARTERLY PAYMENT DATE
British Land Company

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
Crude Oil Inventories (US) (15:30)
MBA Mortgage Applications (US) (12:00)
PMI Composite (EU) (09:00)
PMI Composite (GER) (08:55)
PMI Services (EU) (09:00)
PMI Services (GER) (08:55)
Productivity (US) (13:30)
Retail Sales (EU) (10:00)

FINALS
Boohoo.com, Boohoo.com, Sainsbury (J), Summit Therapeutics

IMSS
Catlin Group Ltd., CRH, Direct Line Insurance Group, Legal & General Group

SPECIAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
GVC Holdings

AGMS
Amerisur Resources, Bank of America Corp., Cloudtag Inc, Costain Group, Dairy Farm International Holdings Ltd. (Singapore), Deltex Medical Group, Gulf Marine Services, Hongkong Land Holding Ltd. (Bermuda), Hongkong Land Holding Ltd. (Jersey), Hongkong Land Holding Ltd. (Sing.Reg), Howden Joinery Group, Inmarsat, Mandarin Oriental International (Singapore), Medaphor Group, Mobeus Income & Growth Vct, National Express Group, Norish Units, Norsk Hydro ASA, Serco Group, Standard Chartered, The Renewables Infrastructure Group Limited, Tullett Prebon

TRADING ANNOUNCEMENTS
Intu Properties

UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
BRC Shop Price Index (00:01)
Official Reserves (09:30)
PMI Composite (09:30)
PMI Services (09:30)

FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
BlackRock Latin American Inv Trust, First Quantum Minerals Ltd., GVC Holdings, Hellermanntyton Group, Jardine Lloyd Thompson Group, Schroders, Schroders (Non-Voting), Smith & Nephew, Ultra Electronics Holdings

Q1
GlaxoSmithKline, Komercni Banka A.S.GDR (Level 1)

Thursday 7 May

INTERIMS
Imperial Tobacco Group

INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Animalcare Group

INTERIM EX-DIVIDEND DATE
AB Dynamics, James Halstead, Lok'n Store Group, Smart (J) & Co.

QUARTERLY EX-DIVIDEND DATE
Barclays, BP, Custodian Reit , IBM Corp.

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
Consumer Credit (US) (20:00)
Continuing Claims (US) (13:30)
Factory Orders (GER) (11:00)
Initial Jobless Claims (US) (13:30)
PMI Construction (GER) (08:30)
PMI Retail (EU) (09:10)
PMI Retail (GER) (09:10)

Q4
BT Group, Stewart & Wight

GMS
Johnson Service Group

FINALS
BT Group, Stewart & Wight

IMSS
Beazley, esure Group, Friends Life Group Limited , IMI, Kennedy Wilson Europe Real Estate , Morrison (Wm) Supermarkets, RSA Insurance Group

SPECIAL EX-DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Admiral Group, Octopus AIM VCT 2

AGMS
Aberdeen Asian Income Fund Ltd., Alent, BAE Systems, BrainJuicer Group, Charles Taylor, Communisis, CRH, Fevertree Drinks, First Quantum Minerals Ltd., GKN, GlaxoSmithKline, Glencore , Gresham Computing, Hexaware Technologies Ltd. GDS (Reg S), IMI, Jardine Matheson Holdings Ltd (Singapore Reg), Jardine Strategic Holdings Ltd. (Singapore), Kaz Minerals , Ladbrokes, Martinco , Millennium & Copthorne Hotels, Morgan Sindall Group, Oxford Biomedica, Provident Financial, Reckitt Benckiser Group, Rightmove, Sorbic International, Trinity Mirror, William Hill, X5 Retail Group NV GDR (Reg S)

TRADING ANNOUNCEMENTS
Telecity Group

UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
New Car Registrations (09:00)

FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
British American Tobacco, Countrywide, Fyffes, LSL Property Services

FINAL EX-DIVIDEND DATE
Acacia Mining, Admiral Group, Advanced Medical Solutions Group, Barr (A.G.), British Smaller Companies VCT 2, Centaur Media, Derwent London, Dunedin Income Growth Inv Trust, EP Global Opportunities Trust, G4S, Gem Diamonds Ltd. (DI), H&T Group, Henderson Group, Highcroft Investment, IFG Group, London Stock Exchange Group, Lookers, Macfarlane Group, Maven Income & Growth 3 VCT, Maven Income & Growth 4 VCT, Maven Income and Growth VCT 5, Morgan Advanced Materials , Morrison (Wm) Supermarkets, Mortgage Advice Bureau (Holdings) , North American Income Trust (The), Ocean Wilsons Holdings Ltd., Octopus AIM VCT 2, Partnership Assurance Group , Playtech, Polypipe Group , Rightmove, SafeCharge International Group Limited (DI), SimiGon Ltd. (DI), Trinity Mirror

Q1
Bankers Petroleum Ltd.(CDI), Millennium & Copthorne Hotels, Sampo OYJ, TBC Bank Joint Stock Company GDR (REGS)

Friday 8 May

INTERIMS
Numis Corporation

INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Begbies Traynor Group, Chrysalis VCT, Edge Performance VCT 'H' Shares, Nimrod Sea Assets Limited, St Ives, Tracsis

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
Balance of Trade (GER) (07:00)
Current Account (GER) (07:00)
Industrial Production (GER) (11:00)
Non-Farm Payrolls (US) (13:30)
Retail Price Index (GER) (09:00)
Unemployment Rate (US) (13:30)
Wholesales Inventories (US) (15:00)

IMSS
Laird, Pendragon

SPECIAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Chrysalis VCT

AGMS
Afarak Group (DI), BBA Aviation, China Chaintek United Co. Limited, Clarke (T.), Clarkson, John Laing Infrastructure Fund Ltd, Kea Petroleum, Laird, Man Group, Morgan Advanced Materials , Pendragon, Rolls-Royce Holdings, RSA Insurance Group, Starwood European Real Estate Finance Ltd

UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
Balance of Trade (09:30)

FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Berendsen, BlackRock World Mining Trust, Capital Drilling Ltd. (DI), Chemring Group, Fisher (James) & Sons, Greggs, International Personal Finance, Meggitt, Moneysupermarket.com Group, SEGRO, Smurfit Kappa Group, Spirent Communications, XLMedia

Q1
Afarak Group (DI), BG Group, InterContinental Hotels Group