The coming week will be extraordinarily busy with financial markets’ focus expected to continue to be on the prospects for a Brexit deal and for a new fiscal stimulus package Stateside.
Against that uncertain backdrop, policymakers at the Bank of England will have their work cut out for them when they meet on Thursday.
So, while they are not expected to move on policy, they will undoubtedly be keeping a close eye on proceedings between London and Brussels.
To take note of, discussion of banks’ preparedness for a possible move towards negative interest rates will likely wait until January.
Also due out over the week are readings on monthly UK unemployment, consumer prices and retail sales on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday, respectively.
On Thursday, investors will be wading through a slew of potentially market-moving Purchasing Managers Indices for the euro area and UK’s manufacturing and services sectors.
Stateside, the big day will be Wednesday, when the Federal Reserve will announce its own monetary policy decision with analysts at Barclays Research anticipating that it will shift towards more qualitative guidance for continuing asset purchases – a reflection of the recently improved economic prospects.
Tuesday meanwhile will bring with it a raft of economic data in the People’s Republic of China, including for fixed asset investment, industrial production, and retail sales in November.
Interest rate decisions are also due out from Switzerland and Norway, on Wednesday, followed by announcements from central banks in the Philippines, Indonesia and Taiwan, all of the latter on Thursday.
Rate-setters at Bank of Japan will announce their latest policy decisions on Friday.
Monday 14 December
INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
Industrial Production (EU) (10:00)
ANNUAL REPORT
Premier Miton Group
EGMS
The Renewables Infrastructure Group Limited
AGMS
Celtic, Fidelity Special Values, Kibo Energy, Proactis Holdings, River and Mercantile Group
TRADING ANNOUNCEMENTS
SThree
FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
North Atlantic Smaller Companies Inv Trust, YouGov
Tuesday 15 December
INTERIMS
Purplebricks Group, Ramsdens Holdings
INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Volex
QUARTERLY PAYMENT DATE
Canadian General Investments Ltd.
INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
Capacity Utilisation (US) (14:15)
Import and Export Price Indices (US) (13:30)
Industrial Production (US) (14:15)
FINALS
Chemring Group, Driver Group, Shaftesbury
ANNUAL REPORT
Ramsdens Holdings
AGMS
Applied Graphene Materials , Blancco Technology Group, International Biotech Trust, Sareum Holdings, Tristel
TRADING ANNOUNCEMENTS
IG Group Holdings
UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
Claimant Count Rate (07:00)
Unemployment Rate (07:00)
FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Aeci 5 1/2% Prf, Asia Dragon Trust , Craneware, Pan African Resources
Wednesday 16 December
INTERIMS
Dixons Carphone , FRP Advisory Group
QUARTERLY PAYMENT DATE
Royal Dutch Shell ‘A’, Royal Dutch Shell ‘B’
INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
Balance of Trade (EU) (10:00)
Business Inventories (US) (15:00)
MBA Mortgage Applications (US) (12:00)
Retail Sales (US) (13:30)
GMS
InnovaDerma, Tavistock Investments
FINALS
Real Good Food
ANNUAL REPORT
Edinburgh Worldwide Inv Trust
AGMS
InnovaDerma, Ncondezi Energy Limited (DI), Oilex Ltd., Orosur Mining Inc, United Carpets Group
UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
Consumer Price Index (07:00)
Producer Price Index (07:00)
Retail Price Index (07:00)
Thursday 17 December
INTERIMS
Watches of Switzerland Group
INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Manolete Partners
INTERIM EX-DIVIDEND DATE
Alliance Pharma, Cohort, Cranswick, Creightons, Discoverie Group, GB Group, JPMorgan Euro Small Co. Trust, Octopus AIM VCT, Redde Northgate, Sirius Real Estate Ltd., United Utilities Group, Ventus VCT D Shs, Ventus 2 VCT, Ventus 2 VCT ‘C’ Shares, Ventus 2 VCT D Shs, Ventus VCT, Ventus VCT ‘C’ Shares, Vodafone Group
QUARTERLY EX-DIVIDEND DATE
British American Tobacco, Mercantile Investment Trust (The), Volta Finance Limited, Volta Finance Limited NPV (GBP)
INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
Building Permits (US) (13:30)
Consumer Price Index (EU) (10:00)
Continuing Claims (US) (13:30)
Housing Starts (US) (13:30)
Initial Jobless Claims (US) (13:30)
FINALS
IntegraFin Holding, SSP Group
SPECIAL EX-DIVIDEND DATE
Morrison (Wm) Supermarkets, RDL Realisation , VP
EGMS
Ryanair Holdings
AGMS
Amiad Water Systems Ltd, Avengardco Investments Public Ltd GDR, BATM Advanced Communications Ltd., Eqtec, European Metals Holding Limited (DI), European Metals Holding Limited (DI), Falanx Group Ltd, Focusrite, Frontier IP Group, Griffin Mining Ltd., Kier Group, Netcall, Ovoca Bio, Petra Diamonds Ltd.(DI), Solgold, Transense Technologies, Wetherspoon (J.D.)
UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
BoE Interest Rate Decision (12:00)
FINAL EX-DIVIDEND DATE
Barings Emerging Emea Opportunities , Britvic, Numis Corporation
Friday 18 December
INTERIMS
Redde Northgate
INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
CMC Markets, CML Microsystems, Edge Performance VCT ‘H’ Shares, Electrocomponents, Finncap Group , Hammerson, iEnergizer Ltd., Kainos Group , Keller Group, Meikles Ltd., Mortgage Advice Bureau (Holdings) , Sainsbury (J), Tatton Asset Management , Vivo Energy , Wynnstay Properties
QUARTERLY PAYMENT DATE
BlackRock World Mining Trust, BP, Diversified Gas & Oil, Pershing Square Holdings Ltd NPV, Pershing Square Holdings Ltd NPV (USD)
INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
Current Account (EU) (09:00)
Current Account (US) (13:30)
IFO Business Climate (GER) (09:00)
IFO Current Assessment (GER) (09:00)
IFO Expectations (GER) (09:00)
Producer Price Index (GER) (07:00)
Wholesale Price Index (GER) (07:00)
GMS
Playtech
SPECIAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
BioPharma Credit , River and Mercantile Group , Sainsbury (J)
EGMS
Air China Ltd., CPL Resources, Datang International Power Generation Co Ltd.
AGMS
Conygar Investment Company, Gfinity , PetroNeft Resources, Wey Education
UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
Current Account (07:00)
GFK Consumer Confidence (00:01)
Retail Sales (07:00)
FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Orchard Funding Group , River and Mercantile Group , Tristel