Week ahead: Global services and US Fed in the spotlight

Financial markets' will shift their focus back towards global services sector conditions and central banks.

Preliminary survey results on both sides of the Channel, on Friday, will provide investors with up-to-date readings on the current state of play in that sector as well as in manufacturing.

Consensus both for the UK and the euro area is for a slight slowdown in services activity, as economic reopenings slow, albeit alongside a slight further pick up in factory sector growth in August.

Brexit talks are due to resume between the UK and the European Union on Tuesday.

Reports on British consumer prices and retail sales for July are also due out, on Wednesday and Friday, respectively.

Rate-setters on the US Federal Open Market Committee are also due to meet on Wednesday.

No change in policy is expected but Barclays does anticipate that the meeting minutes will show the Fed reaffirming a shift in the central bank's strategy for maintaining price stability towards inflation targeting.

"We will pay attention to whether the committee sees forward guidance as including thresholds on both, unemployment or inflation and whether yield curve control has support," they added.

Geopolitics and international trade will figure large in the background given recent events in the Middle East and Belarus and after a planned review of Beijing's progress in implementing its phase one trade deal commitments was unexpectedly postponed during the previous week.

Monday 17 August

INTERIMS

BATM Advanced Communications Ltd., Horizon Discovery Group, MTI Wireless Edge Ltd.

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Consumer Price Index (EU) (10:00)

Producer Price Index (GER) (07:00)

AGMS

Cranswick

FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Castings, Mountview Estates

Tuesday 18 August

INTERIMS

Kaz Minerals , Marshall Motor Holdings, Mears Group, Persimmon, TBC Bank Group, Telit Communications

INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Dewhurst

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Building Permits (US) (13:30)

Housing Starts (US) (13:30)

Q2

TBC Bank Group

FINALS

BHP Group

SPECIAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Alternative Liquidity Fund Limited

AGMS

Aseana Properties Ltd., Northern Bear, Public Joint Stock Company Polyus (REG S) , Tatton Asset Management

Wednesday 19 August

QUARTERLY PAYMENT DATE

British American Tobacco, Merchants Trust

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Crude Oil Inventories (US) (15:30)

Current Account (EU) (09:00)

MBA Mortgage Applications (US) (12:00)

Wholesale Price Index (GER) (07:00)

AGMS

Albion Venture Capital Trust, Braemar Shipping Services, Gore Street Energy Storage Fund

UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Consumer Price Index (09:30)

Producer Price Index (09:30)

Retail Price Index (09:30)

FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

National Grid

Thursday 20 August

INTERIMS

Antofagasta, Bank of Georgia Group, Capital Limited (DI), Churchill China, Georgia Capital

INTERIM EX-DIVIDEND DATE

Anglo American, Berkeley Group Holdings (The), Chemring Group, CLS Holdings, Croda International, Croma Security Solutions Group, Dairy Farm International Holdings Ltd (Bermuda), Dairy Farm International Holdings Ltd. (Jersey), Dairy Farm International Holdings Ltd. (Singapore), Domino's Pizza Group, Drax Group, Glanbia, Hikma Pharmaceuticals, Hongkong Land Holding Ltd. (Bermuda), Hongkong Land Holding Ltd. (Jersey), Hongkong Land Holding Ltd. (Sing.Reg), Jardine Matheson Holdings Ltd (Singapore Reg), Jardine Matheson Holdings Ltd. (Bermuda), Jardine Matheson Holdings Ltd. (Jersey), Jardine Strategic Holdingd Ltd. (Bermuda), Jardine Strategic Holdingd Ltd. (Jersey REG), Jardine Strategic Holdings Ltd. (Singapore), London Stock Exchange Group, M&G, Plus500 Ltd (DI), Prudential, Reckitt Benckiser Group, Rotork, Schroders, Schroders (Non-Voting), Standard Life Aberdeen, UDG Healthcare Public Limited Company

QUARTERLY PAYMENT DATE

M Winkworth

QUARTERLY EX-DIVIDEND DATE

Blackrock North American Income Trust , Chenavari Toro Income Fund Limited NPV, Pershing Square Holdings Ltd NPV, Real Estate Credit Investments Ltd

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Continuing Claims (US) (13:30)

GFK Consumer Confidence (GER) (07:00)

Initial Jobless Claims (US) (13:30)

Philadelphia Fed Index (US) (13:30)

Q2

Bank of Georgia Group

GMS

Pelatro

FINALS

Frasers Group , Van Elle Holdings

SPECIAL EX-DIVIDEND DATE

Artemis VCT, Chenavari Toro Income Fund Limited NPV

AGMS

AO World, Landore Resources Ltd., New Century AIM VCT, Norish Units, Nuformix, Tasty, Tata Steel Ltd GDR (Reg S), Ventus 2 VCT, Ventus VCT, Vertu Motors

TRADING ANNOUNCEMENTS

Capital Limited (DI)

UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Retail Sales (09:30)

FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Sirius Real Estate Ltd.

FINAL EX-DIVIDEND DATE

B&M European Value Retail S.A. (DI), Blue Planet Investment Trust, First Property Group

Friday 21 August

INTERIMS

Kingspan Group

INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Independent Inv Trust, Octopus Renewables Infrastructure Trust

QUARTERLY PAYMENT DATE

Marble Point Loan Financing Limited NPV, Primary Health Properties, Tufton Oceanic Assets Limited NPV

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Existing Home Sales (US) (15:00)

SPECIAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Keller Group

EGMS

China Pacific Insurance (Group) Co., Ltd GDR (Reg S), Societatea Energetica Electrica SA GDR (Reg S)

AGMS

Adams, Naspers Ltd. ADR, Polo Resources Ltd. (DI), VR Education Holdings

UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

CBI Industrial Trends Surveys (11:00)

Public Sector Net Borrowing (09:30)

FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Anexo Group , Keller Group