Thursday preview: ECB, US manufacturing in focus
The market spotlight on Thursday will be squarely on the European Central Bank as its Governing Council announces its latest policy deliberations.
Having already eased policy further in December, little is expected this time around.
Barclays expects the central bank will note the rising downside risks for near-term, although there are hopes for a recovery in the back half of the year.
Nonetheless, all hinges on the ongoing pandemic being brought to heel, with the appearance of multiple new coronavirus strains, most recently especially those in South Africa and perhaps also in Brazil of concern.
Some of the latest reports appear to indicate that such strains could pose a significant additional hurdle for the pandemic response globally.
Stateside meanwhile, investors' focus will be on the latest weekly unemployment claims figures, alongside a reading for the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia's closely-watched monthly factory sector survey.
Also due to announce their latest interest rate decisions are central banks in Indonesia and Norway, the latter at 0900 GMT.
Thursday January 21
INTERIMS
IG Group Holdings, Sensyne Health
INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
GB Group, Sirius Real Estate Ltd.
INTERIM EX-DIVIDEND DATE
Stenprop Limited
QUARTERLY EX-DIVIDEND DATE
JpMorgan China Growth & Income , M Winkworth, Supermarket Income Reit
INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
Building Permits (US) (13:30)
Continuing Claims (US) (13:30)
ECB Interest Rate (EU) (12:45)
Housing Starts (US) (13:30)
Initial Jobless Claims (US) (13:30)
SPECIAL EX-DIVIDEND DATE
Best of the Best
EGMS
Grafton Group Ut, Kenmare Resources
AGMS
Baillie Gifford European Growth Trust , Barings Emerging Emea Opportunities , BrandShield Systems, Henderson Far East Income Ltd., Mineral & Financial Investments Limited (DI)
TRADING ANNOUNCEMENTS
AJ Bell, Arrow Global Group, Close Brothers Group, Countryside Properties, Energean , Eve Sleep PLC, Luceco , Sage Group
FINAL EX-DIVIDEND DATE
Dewhurst, Dewhurst (Non-Voting), RWS Holdings