Week ahead: UK employment data, Fed speakers in focus
All eyes over the coming week will likely be on the news-flow around the situation in the Middle East.
The above aside however, the most interesting event will be the March employment report, on Tuesday, especially after the Bank of England slashed its 2018 GDP forecast in the latest Inflation Report.
Also out that day will be readings on Chinese industrial production, retail sales and fixed asset investment referencing the month of April, all of which could easily move markets.
Over in the States meanwhile, it's set to be a busy week on the data front, with retail sales figures for April scheduled to be published on Tuesday and with the Philly Fed's manufacturing sector index set for release on Thursday.
At least seven Fed speakers are also due to take to the podium over the next week, including testimonies from the White House's two nominees to the board of the US Federal Reserve, Richard Clarida and Michele Bowman, also on Tuesday.
In the euro area meanwhile, the most interesting session will be on Monday, when at least five top European Central Bank officials are expected to deliver speeches at various venues.
That includes the ECB's chief economist, Peter Praet, who will speak at the joint BoE, ECB, Fed Board Gender and Career Progression Conference in London.
Praet is also scheduled to speak at a Connect Roundtable sponsored by MNI in London, the same day.
Monday May 14
INTERIMS
Cerillion , Diploma, Lonmin, Lonmin, Victrex plc
FINALS
Angling Direct
SPECIAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Savills
AGMS
Centrica, Fidelity European Values, Global Ports Investments GDR (REG S), Integrated Diagnostics Holdings, Midwich Group, Non-Standard Finance, SafeCharge International Group Limited (DI), The City Pub Group
TRADING ANNOUNCEMENTS
Centrica, Dignity
FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
GKN, Rathbone Brothers, Savills
Q1
Dignity
Tuesday May 15
INTERIMS
CYBG , easyJet, EI Group, Elegant Hotels Group , ITE Group, Patisserie Holdings , Ten Lifestyle Group , Zytronic
INTERIM EX-DIVIDEND DATE
Seplat Petroleum Development Company (DI)
QUARTERLY PAYMENT DATE
Marsh & Mclennan Cos Inc.
INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
Business Inventories (US) (15:00)
GDP (Preliminary) (EU) (10:00)
GDP (Preliminary) (GER) (07:00)
Industrial Production (EU) (10:00)
Retail Sales (US) (13:30)
GMS
EVS Broadcast Equipment SA
FINALS
Animalcare Group, Braemar Shipping Services, BTG, DCC, Gear4music (Holdings), Land Securities Group, Premier Foods, Sprue Aegis, Vodafone Group
EGMS
Starwood European Real Estate Finance Ltd
AGMS
Amerisur Resources, Anglo Pacific Group, Cairn Energy, Cenkos Securities, Charles Taylor, Eland Oil & Gas, G4S, Horizonte Minerals, IWG , Kakuzi Ltd., Macfarlane Group, Maven Income & Growth 4 VCT, Pittards, PJSC Centre For Cargo Container Traffic Transcontainer GDR (Reg S), PPHE Hotel Group Ltd, Spirax-Sarco Engineering, Starwood European Real Estate Finance Ltd, Symphony Environmental Technologies, UBM, Vitec Group
TRADING ANNOUNCEMENTS
Hargreaves Lansdown, Spirax-Sarco Engineering
UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
Claimant Count Rate (09:30)
FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Ebiquity, Franchise Brands, John Laing Infrastructure Fund Ltd, JPMorgan American Inv Trust, Moneysupermarket.com Group, Sagicor Financial Corporation Limited (DI), Sanne Group
Q1
Georgia Healthcare Group
Wednesday May 16
INTERIMS
Brewin Dolphin Holdings, Marston's, Mitchells & Butlers, SSP Group
INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
Building Permits (US) (13:30)
Capacity Utilisation (US) (14:15)
Consumer Price Index (EU) (10:00)
Consumer Price Index (GER) (08:00)
Housing Starts (US) (13:30)
Industrial Production (US) (14:15)
MBA Mortgage Applications (US) (12:00)
GMS
Fenner, Utilitywise plc
FINALS
Burberry Group, C&C Group, Speedy Hire
SPECIAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Dragon-Ukrainian Properties & Development
AGMS
Aberdeen Asian Income Fund Ltd., Charter Court Financial Services Group , Chesnara, Cineworld Group, Coats Group, Cronin Group , Indivior, Jupiter Fund Management , Kings Arms Yard VCT, Merchants Trust, Mondi, Mortgage Advice Bureau (Holdings) , Moss Bros Group, National Express Group, Ophir Energy, Permanent TSB Group Holdings, Premier Oil, Princess Private Equity Holding Ltd. (EUR), Property Franchise Group, Secure Trust Bank, Tritax Big Box Reit , Worldpay, Inc Class A Com Stk (DI), Zotefoams
TRADING ANNOUNCEMENTS
Charter Court Financial Services Group , Crest Nicholson Holdings, Galliford Try, Mondi, National Express Group, STV Group, TI Fluid Systems
FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Alpha Fx Group , Capital & Regional, Dairy Farm International Holdings Ltd (Bermuda), Dairy Farm International Holdings Ltd. (Jersey), Dairy Farm International Holdings Ltd. (Singapore), 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 Strategic Holdingd Ltd. (Bermuda), Jardine Strategic Holdings Ltd. (Singapore), Mandarin Oriental International (Bermuda), Mandarin Oriental International (Jersey), Mandarin Oriental International (Singapore), OneSavings Bank, Rentokil Initial, Schroder Asian Total Return Investment Company , Virgin Money Holdings (UK)
Thursday May 17
INTERIMS
Countryside Properties, Euromoney Institutional Investor, Future, Grainger, Thomas Cook Group, Thomas Cook Group
INTERIM EX-DIVIDEND DATE
Baring Emerging Europe, Cambria Automobiles, Numis Corporation, Titon Holdings
QUARTERLY EX-DIVIDEND DATE
Anglo Pacific Group, Civitas Social Housing , MedicX Fund Ltd., Raven Russia Ltd. Cum Red Pref Shares, The Renewables Infrastructure Group Limited, TwentyFour Select Monthly Income Fund Limited
INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
Balance of Trade (EU) (10:00)
Continuing Claims (US) (13:30)
Initial Jobless Claims (US) (13:30)
Philadelphia Fed Index (US) (13:30)
FINALS
3i Group, British Land Company, Experian, Mothercare, National Grid, Royal Mail, Sophos Group , Wincanton
SPECIAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Direct Line Insurance Group
EGMS
John Laing Infrastructure Fund Ltd
AGMS
7Digital Group , Elecosoft, Erris Resources, eServGlobal Limited (DI), esure Group, Fevertree Drinks, Foxtons Group , Genel Energy, Great Western Mining Corporation, Great Western Mining Corporation, Great Western Mining Corporation, Gresham House, Highcroft Investment, Hill & Smith Holdings, Hiscox Limited (DI), Impax Environmental Markets, IndigoVision Group, John Laing Infrastructure Fund Ltd, Just Group, Kape Technologies, Legal & General Group, LiDCO Group, Medaphor Group, Next, North Midland Construction, ProPhotonix (DI), Prudential, Regional REIT Limited, Regional Reit ZDP, Robert Walters, Staffline Group, TI Fluid Systems, Vectura Group
TRADING ANNOUNCEMENTS
Hill & Smith Holdings, Just Group, Regional REIT Limited, Regional Reit ZDP
FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Aviva, Convatec Group , Direct Line Insurance Group, Dunedin Enterprise Investment Trust, Equiniti Group , Intu Properties, Merlin Entertainments , Mobeus Income & Growth Vct, Standard Chartered, TP ICAP, Wood Group (John)
FINAL EX-DIVIDEND DATE
Ascential, BlackRock Emerging Europe, BlackRock Smaller Companies Trust, Clarkson, Dignity, Inchcape, Integrated Diagnostics Holdings, Intertek Group, Irish Continental Group Units, K3 Business Technology Group, Macfarlane Group, Non-Standard Finance, Pagegroup, Robinson, Saga , Tandem Group, Ted Baker, Tesco, Witan Pacific Inv Trust
Q1
Bouygues SA, TBC Bank Group
Friday May 18
INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
AB Dynamics, Barratt Developments, British Smaller Companies VCT, Fenner, Kier Group
INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
Producer Price Index (GER) (07:00)
Wholesale Price Index (GER) (07:00)
SPECIAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
John Laing Group , Panther Securities
AGMS
AstraZeneca, Baillie Gifford Shin Nippon, Clarke (T.), Computacenter, Derwent London, Eurocell , Hikma Pharmaceuticals, Hunters Property , Independent News & Media, Menzies(John), Paddy Power Betfair, Petrofac Ltd., Rockhopper Exploration, S&U
FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Arbuthnot Banking Group, Bristol & West 'A', Capital Drilling Ltd. (DI), Communisis, Costain Group, Curtis Banks Group, Fidelity European Values, Greggs, IMI, John Laing Group , Kerry Group 'A' Shares, Man Group, Octopus AIM VCT 2, PPHE Hotel Group Ltd, Prudential, Quixant, Randgold Resources Ltd., RPS Group, RSA Insurance Group, Taylor Wimpey, TT Electronics, Tyman, Unite Group, Vitec Group
Q1
AstraZeneca