Week ahead: Janet Yellen, UK employment data in focus
Focus next week will be on testimony from the head of the Federal Reserve before a US Congressional panel.
On Wednesday, Janet Yellen will deliver her semi-annual testimony before the House of Representatives's Committee on Financial Services, with investors keen for further clues about the Fed's plans after the minutes of its 13-14 June policy meeting appeared to show divisions at the central bank about when to start rolling back its balance sheet.
Against that backdrop, also on Wednesday ONS will release the latest monthly employment report for the UK.
Those figures will arrive amid increased speculation of a possible hike in Bank Rate following recent more hawkish comments from Bank of England chief economist Andy Haldane himself and even his own boss, Mark Carney.
Nonetheless, analysts at Fathom Consulting and Oxford Economics remain unconvinced that a hike is on the cards any time soon.
"With economic growth set to soften further through the second half of this year, either the Committee will pull the trigger next month, or rates are on hold more or less indefinitely. We suspect it will be the latter," said Joanna Davies at Fathom Consulting.
For his part, Anrew Goodwin at Oxford Economics is of a similar view.
In a research note sent to clients on 7 July, Goodwin said: "against this backdrop of soft activity and signs that inflationary pressures are weakening it is hard to fathom why some MPC members have taken a more hawkish view of late.
"We think it unlikely that there will be more than two votes to raise interest rates at the August meeting and in our view markets are significantly overstating the probability of a rate hike this year."
Goodwin forecast British gross domestic product in the second quarter of 2017 would grow at an unspectacular rate of 0.3% quarter-on-quarter and perhaps even by as little as 0.2%.
Further out in the week, Friday will see a barrage of top-tier economic data releases in the States, including readings on consumer prices, industrial production and retail sales.
In the euro area, the spotlight will be trained on industrial production numbers for May on Wednesday and readings on harmonised consumer prices in Germany, France and Spain on Thursday.
Monday July 10
QUARTERLY PAYMENT DATE
XP Power Ltd. (DI)
INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
Consumer Credit (US) (20:00)
Current Account (GER) (07:00)
FINALS
Accrol Group Holdings, Falanx Group Ltd
DRILLING REPORT
Centamin (DI)
EGMS
SerVision
AGMS
Aberdeen Japan Investment Trust , Capital Gearing Trust
FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
3i Infrastructure, Great Portland Estates, Nasstar, Safestyle UK
Tuesday July 11
INTERIMS
Amino Technologies, Low & Bonar, Polar Capital Global Financials Trust
INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
Wholesales Inventories (US) (13:30)
FINALS
Collagen Solutions, Gateley (Holdings) , Ilika, Polar Capital Technology Trust
AGMS
JPMorgan Euro Small Co. Trust, LondonMetric Property, Marks & Spencer Group, Northern Investors Co, Palace Capital , Perpetual Income & Growth Inv Trust, Pets at Home Group , Shires Income, U And I Group, Young & Co's Brewery 'A' Shares, Young & Co's Brewery (Non-Voting)
TRADING ANNOUNCEMENTS
Carillion, Galliford Try, Gocompare.com Group, Marks & Spencer Group, Pagegroup
UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
RICS Housing Market Survey (00:01)
Wednesday July 12
INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Hollywood Bowl Group
INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
Crude Oil Inventories (US) (15:30)
Industrial Production (EU) (11:00)
MBA Mortgage Applications (US) (12:00)
FINALS
Micro Focus International, The Fulham Shore
DRILLING REPORT
Hochschild Mining
AGMS
Altitude Group, Biotech Growth Trust (The), BT Group, Global Fixed Income Realisation Limited, Magnolia Petroleum, MyCelx Technologies Corporation (DI), Nex Group , Northern 2 VCT, Speedy Hire
TRADING ANNOUNCEMENTS
Barratt Developments, Burberry Group, Eve Sleep PLC, Nex Group , Robert Walters, Wetherspoon (J.D.), Xaar
UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
Claimant Count Rate (09:30)
FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Alliance Pharma
Thursday July 13
INTERIM EX-DIVIDEND DATE
Autins Group, Blackrock Income And Growth Investment Trust, Chrysalis VCT, Netcall, Safestore Holdings, Schroder UK Mid Cap Fund, Treatt, WH Smith
QUARTERLY EX-DIVIDEND DATE
JPMorgan Asian Investment Trust, Merchants Trust, Middlefield Canadian Income PCC, Primary Health Properties
INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
Initial Jobless Claims (US) (13:30)
Producer Price Index (US) (13:30)
FINALS
AdEPT Telecom, Dart Group
IMSS
ITE Group
SPECIAL EX-DIVIDEND DATE
Chrysalis VCT, Establishment Inv Trust
AGMS
Atalaya Mining, Babcock International Group, BTG, Burberry Group, Helical, JPMorgan Income & Capital Inv Trust, Land Securities Group, Northern 3 VCT, Redt Energy , Renewi , Sports Direct International, Summit Germany Limited, Telford Homes, Templeton Emerging Markets Inv Trust, Templeton Emerging Markets Inv Trust, Templeton Emerging Markets Inv Trust, Triple Point VCT 2011, Wynnstay Properties
TRADING ANNOUNCEMENTS
ASOS, Babcock International Group, Hays, Premier Oil, SSP Group
FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Inspired Energy, Young & Co's Brewery 'A' Shares, Young & Co's Brewery (Non-Voting)
FINAL EX-DIVIDEND DATE
Anpario, Calculus VCT 'D', Castings, Cropper (James), D4T4 Solutions, Dekeloil Public Ltd, Establishment Inv Trust, F&C Global Smaller Companies, Halma, Invesco Asia Trust, Mission Marketing Group, Mountview Estates, Sirius Real Estate Ltd., Supergroup, Ventus 2 VCT, Ventus VCT, VP
Friday July 14
INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Britvic, Elegant Hotels Group , Maven Income & Growth 3 VCT, Maven Income & Growth 4 VCT, Maven Income & Growth VCT, Topps Tiles
QUARTERLY PAYMENT DATE
Regional REIT Limited, Schlumberger Ltd.
INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
Balance of Trade (EU) (11:00)
Consumer Price Index (US) (13:30)
Retail Sales (US) (13:30)
SPECIAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Electra Private Equity, Taylor Wimpey, Triple Point Income VCT
EGMS
Bahamas Petroleum Co
AGMS
DCC, Kemin Resources, NewRiver REIT, Workspace Group, ZCCM Investments Holdings 'B' Shares
FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Aberdeen Japan Investment Trust , Anglo-Eastern Plantations, C&C Group, Marks & Spencer Group, New Century AIM VCT 2, Pets at Home Group , ProVen Growth & Income VCT, ProVen VCT, Scisys, TBC Bank Group, Telford Homes, Triple Point Income VCT, Triple Point Income VCT A, Triple Point Income VCT C, Triple Point Income VCT D