Week ahead: Global CPI data, ECB in focus

The world stops for no one. Stock markets in London and New York will remain closed at the end of the week in observance of Good Friday and many traders will be away from their desks throughout the week.

Yet the calendar is replete with potentially key risk events.

In particular, investors will be watching consumer price data for March due out in China, the euro area, UK and US, with the former set for release on Monday and the latter on Tuesday.

Against that backdrop, on Thursday, the European Central Bank will announce its latest monetary policy decision.

Markets are keen for any hints as to the timing of the ECB's first interest rate hike.

UK employment due out on Tuesday may also make for an interesting reading. Michael Hewson, chief market analyst at CMC Markets UK, says upcoming changes in national insurance thresholds from July will help over the longer-term.

For now however, the latest wage figures will show that they aren't even close to matching price rises at shops, Hewson adds.

In the background, all eyes will remain fixated upon the war in Ukraine, amid heightened expectations for the imminent start of a Russian offensive in the country's Donbass region.

On the corporate side of things meanwhile, J.P.Morgan Chase will post its first quarter earnings on Wednesday, followed by peers Citi and Goldman Sachs on the next day.

Worth noting, the Easter holidays are likely to result in lighter than usual trading volumes over the course of the week.

Monday 11 April

INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

ADVFN, Renishaw

GMS

Gore Street Energy Storage Fund

FINALS

Tortilla Mexican Grill

ANNUAL REPORT

Tortilla Mexican Grill

TRADING ANNOUNCEMENTS

Audioboom Group, Sirius Real Estate Ltd.

UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Balance of Trade (07:00)

Gross Domestic Product (07:00)

Index of Services (07:00)

Industrial Production (07:00)

Manufacturing Production (07:00)

Tuesday 12 April

INTERIMS

MJ Hudson Group NPV, Nanoco Group

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Consumer Price Index (GER) (07:00)

Consumer Price Index (US) (13:30)

ZEW Survey (EU) - Economic Sentiment (10:00)

ZEW Survey (GER) - Current Situation (10:00)

ZEW Survey (GER) - Economic Sentiment (10:00)

FINALS

Filta Group Holdings, JD Sports Fashion, Microlise Group, Northbridge Industrial Services

AGMS

Phoenix Copper Limited

UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Claimant Count Rate (07:00)

Retail Sales (00:01)

Unemployment Rate (07:00)

Wednesday 13 April

INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Mid Wynd International Inv Trust

QUARTERLY PAYMENT DATE

Assura

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Crude Oil Inventories (US) (15:30)

MBA Mortgage Applications (US) (12:00)

Producer Price Index (US) (13:30)

FINALS

Petropavlovsk, Tesco

EGMS

Edita Food Industries S.A.E. GDR (REGS)

AGMS

AssetCo, Smith & Nephew

TRADING ANNOUNCEMENTS

Novolipetsk Steel GDS (Reg S), Pagegroup, PJSC Magnitogorsk Iron & Steel Works GDR (Reg S)

UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Consumer Price Index (07:00)

Producer Price Index (07:00)

Retail Price Index (07:00)

FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Athelney Trust

Thursday 14 April

INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Brooks Macdonald Group, Colefax Group, Craneware, Trifast

INTERIM EX-DIVIDEND DATE

Edge Performance VCT 'H' Shares, Manchester & London Investment Trust, Tracsis

QUARTERLY PAYMENT DATE

Contour Global , Yamana Gold Inc. NPV (CDI)

QUARTERLY EX-DIVIDEND DATE

BlackRock Latin American Inv Trust, JPMorgan Asia Growth & Income, JPMorgan Japan Small Cap Growth & Income, Middlefield Canadian Income PCC, Scottish Inv Trust, TwentyFour Select Monthly Income Fund Limited

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Business Inventories (US) (13:30)

Continuing Claims (US) (13:30)

ECB Interest Rate (EU) (12:45)

Import and Export Price Indices (US) (13:30)

Initial Jobless Claims (US) (13:30)

Retail Sales (US) (13:30)

Wholesale Price Index (GER) (07:00)

AGMS

AIQ Limited (DI), XP Power Ltd. (DI)

TRADING ANNOUNCEMENTS

Ashmore Group, Dunelm Group, Hays

FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Law Debenture Corp., Oakley Capital Investments Ltd. (DI)

FINAL EX-DIVIDEND DATE

Alpha Fx Group , Belvoir Group, CPP Group, Genel Energy, Ibstock , ITV, JPMorgan US Smaller Co. Inv Tst, Merchants Trust, Old Mutual Limited NPV (DI), Photo-Me International, STV Group, Unite Group, Vesuvius

Friday 15 April

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Capacity Utilisation (US) (14:15)

Industrial Production (US) (14:15)

U. of Michigan Confidence (Prelim) (US) (15:00)