Thursday preview: Philly Fed index, Weekly US jobless claims in focus

Investors' focus on Thursday will be on a barrage of economic indicators in the U.S..

At 1230 BST the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia will release its regional factory index for the month of April.

In parallel, the Department of Labor will publish its closely-followed weekly unemployment claims data.

Those data points will be followed at 1400 BST by the latest existing home sales figures.

Multiple Fed speakers are also expected to take to the podium throughout the course of the day.

No major economic releases are scheduled in the U.K..

Thursday 18 April

INTERIMS

Pod Point Group Holdings

INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Redcentric

INTERIM EX-DIVIDEND DATE

DFS Furniture, Kier Group, Nippon Active Value Fund

QUARTERLY EX-DIVIDEND DATE

JpMorgan China Growth & Income , M Winkworth, TwentyFour Select Monthly Income Fund Limited

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Continuing Claims (US) (13:30)

Current Account (EU) (09:00)

Existing Home Sales (US) (15:00)

Initial Jobless Claims (US) (13:30)

Philadelphia Fed Index (US) (13:30)

FINALS

Devolver Digital, Inc. (DI) Reg S Cat 3/144A, HydrogenOne Capital Growth, Keystone Law Group , LBG Media

EGMS

Jyske Bank A/S

AGMS

Aquis Exchange , Harmony Energy Income Trust, Jarvis Securities, Leeds Building Society 13 3/8% Bearing Shares, SEGRO, Team Internet Group , Thorpe (F.W.)

TRADING ANNOUNCEMENTS

AJ Bell, Dunelm Group, Hays, Rentokil Initial, SEGRO

FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Rio Tinto

FINAL EX-DIVIDEND DATE

AIREA, Antofagasta, Arbuthnot Banking Group, BAE Systems, Baillie Gifford Shin Nippon, Bridgepoint Group (Reg S) , Capital Limited (DI), Costain Group, Croda International, Dowlais Group, Drax Group, Fresnillo, Hvivo, JPMorgan American Inv Trust, JPMorgan US Smaller Co. Inv Tst, Jupiter Fund Management , London Stock Exchange Group, Maven Income & Growth 4 VCT, Merchants Trust, Old Mutual Limited NPV (DI), Quilter, Rathbones Group, Rotork, Serco Group, STV Group, Thungela Resources Limited NPV (DI), Uniphar (CDI), Unite Group, Vanquis Banking Group 20, Vesuvius, Weir Group

Centamin (DI)