Week ahead: UK Parliament, Fedspeak in focus

Brexit will continue to dominate the headlines over the coming week, with Parliament expected to be called on again to vote on the Prime Minister's withdrawal proposal.

If lawmakers fail to rally behind Theresa May then MPs will be allowed indicative votes on possible alternatives, even if they are legally non-binding, which could conceivably pave the way for a second referendum or even a fresh general election should the House of Commons remain as divided as it appears to be at present.

Against that backdrop, investors will be keeping close tabs on a raft of speeches by top US central bank officials scheduled for throughout the week, including by seven members of the 10-member strong Federal Open Market Committee, the Federal Reserve's main rate-setting organ.

In parallel, US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and the country's Secretary of the Treasury, Steve Mnuchin, are set to travel to Beijing during the week.

Regarding the week's key economic releases, they are like to come on Monday and Tuesday, in the form of the German IFO institute's monthly business confidence survey and a raft of statistics covering America's housing sector, respectively.

Monday March 25

INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Mountview Estates

QUARTERLY PAYMENT DATE

Royal Dutch Shell 'A', Royal Dutch Shell 'B', Tetragon Financial Group Limited

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

IFO Business Climate (GER) (09:00)

IFO Current Assessment (GER) (09:00)

IFO Expectations (GER) (09:00)

FINALS

ADES International Holding (DI) , Be Heard Group, Bigblu Broadband , Brady, Ebiquity, Hansteen Holdings, MD Medical Group Investments GDR (Reg S), Medica Group , Microgen, Quixant, SpaceandPeople, Spectra Systems Corporation

ANNUAL REPORT

Afarak Group (DI), Standard Chartered

EGMS

Bankmuscat (S.A.O.G) GDR (Reg S)

AGMS

Adept4, Lonmin, Velocity Composites

Tuesday March 26

INTERIMS

Mysale Group, Mysale Group

INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

BHP Group

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Building Permits (US) (12:30)

Consumer Confidence (US) (14:00)

GFK Consumer Confidence (GER) (07:00)

House Price Index (US) (14:00)

Housing Starts (US) (12:30)

FINALS

Access Intelligence, Alliance Pharma, Barr (A.G.), Boku, Inc (DI) Reg S Cat 3/144A, Clarke (T.), Fevertree Drinks, Gulf Marine Services, LiDCO Group, Michelmersh Brick Holdings, Moss Bros Group, Pelatro , Personal Group Holdings, S&U, STM Group, Vectura Group, XLMedia

AGMS

Crest Nicholson Holdings, I-Nexus Global , Quartix Holdings , Quartix Holdings , SK Telecom Co Ltd. ADS, Tritax Eurobox (GBP), Wynnstay Group

UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

BBA Mortgage Lending Figures (09:30)

Wednesday March 27

INTERIMS

Bellway

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Balance of Trade (US) (12:30)

Crude Oil Inventories (US) (14:30)

Current Account (US) (12:30)

MBA Mortgage Applications (US) (11:00)

FINALS

Churchill China, Hilton Food Group, Inspired Energy, M&C Saatchi, RHI Magnesita N.V. (DI), Touchstone Exploration Inc NPV (DI)

EGMS

Societatea Nationala De Gaze Naturale Romgaz S.A. GDR (Reg S)

AGMS

Amino Technologies, Premier Veterinary Group , RM

FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Arden Partners, Lancashire Holdings Limited

Thursday March 28

INTERIMS

Diurnal Group, Genedrive , Tritax Eurobox (GBP)

INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Coral Products, Volta Finance Limited NPV (GBP)

INTERIM EX-DIVIDEND DATE

Go-Ahead Group, Kier Group, Origin Enterprises, Thorpe (F.W.), Tristel, Volution Group (WI)

QUARTERLY PAYMENT DATE

Kosmos Energy (DI), Volta Finance Limited

QUARTERLY EX-DIVIDEND DATE

Alpha Real Trust Ltd., British Land Company, Real Estate Investors, Value and Income Trust

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Consumer Confidence (EU) (10:00)

Continuing Claims (US) (12:30)

Gross Domestic Product (US) (12:30)

Initial Jobless Claims (US) (12:30)

M3 Money Supply (EU) (09:00)

Pending Homes Sales (US) (14:00)

Personal Consumption Expenditures (US) (12:30)

FINALS

Arbuthnot Banking Group, BBGI SICAV S.A. (DI), Biome Technologies, Eddie Stobart Logistics , Gulf Keystone Petroleum Ltd Com Shs (DI), IGas Energy, India Capital Growth Fund Ltd., Intelligent Ultrasound Group , International Public Partnerships Ltd., Scisys Group, Secure Trust Bank

SPECIAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Lazard World Trust Fund

SPECIAL EX-DIVIDEND DATE

888 Holdings, Sherborne Investors (Guernsey) 'B' Limited

EGMS

Datang International Power Generation Co Ltd.

AGMS

Aukett Swanke Group , Aukett Swanke Group , Chenavari Capital Solutions Limited Red, Temple Bar Inv Trust, United Bank Ltd GDR (Reg S)

UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Nationwide House Price Index (07:00)

FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

BB Healthcare Trust (Red), Blackrock Throgmorton Trust, Jersey Electricity 'A' Shares, Redde

FINAL EX-DIVIDEND DATE

888 Holdings, Bovis Homes Group, Devro, Elecosoft, Fidelity European Values, InterContinental Hotels Group, Kingspan Group, Maintel Holdings, Old Mutual Limited NPV (DI), Prudential, Schroders, Schroders (Non-Voting), Transgloble Energy Corporation NPV (DI), Wynnstay Group

Friday March 29

INTERIMS

CVS Group

INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Draper Esprit VCT, Evraz, Jupiter Green Inv Trust, Mattioli Woods, Mid Wynd International Inv Trust

QUARTERLY PAYMENT DATE

Aberdeen Diversified Income and Growth Trust , BP, Diversified Gas & Oil, Honeycomb Investment Trust, NextEnergy Solar Fund Limited Red, Premier Global Infrastructure Trust, Real Estate Credit Investments Ltd, RM Secured Direct Lending, SQN Asset Finance Income Fund Limited, SQN Asset Finance Income Fund Limited 'C Shares', SQN Secured Income Fund , The Renewables Infrastructure Group Limited, UIL Limited (DI)

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Business Climate Indicator (EU) (10:00)

Chicago PMI (US) (13:45)

Consumer Confidence (EU) (10:00)

Economic Sentiment Indicator (EU) (10:00)

Import Price Index (GER) (07:00)

Industrial Confidence (EU) (10:00)

New Homes Sales (US) (14:00)

Personal Consumption Expenditures (US) (12:30)

Personal Spending (US) (12:30)

Retail Sales (GER) (07:00)

Services Confidence (EU) (10:00)

U. of Michigan Confidence (US) (14:00)

Unemployment Rate (GER) (08:55)

GMS

Akers Biosciences, Inc.

FINALS

Cathay International Holdings Ltd., Chesnara, GAN, Public Joint Stock Company Rosseti GDR (Each REPR 200 ORD) Reg S

ANNUAL REPORT

Cathay International Holdings Ltd., Tern

SPECIAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

BioPharma Credit , Persimmon, Thinksmart Limited (DI)

EGMS

Globalworth Real Estate Investments Limited

AGMS

Angus Energy , Autins Group, Blue Star Capital, IDOX, IRF European Finance Investments Ltd (DI), Local Shopping REIT, Micro Focus International, St. Modwen Properties

UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Current Account (09:30)

M4 Money Supply (09:30)

Unemployment Rate (GER) (08:55)

FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Chrysalis VCT, Imperial Brands , LPA Group, SSP Group , Temple Bar Inv Trust, Tritax Eurobox (EUR), Tritax Eurobox (GBP)