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(Sharecast News) - The market spotlight will continue to focus on the US come Thursday.
Against the backdrop of the ongoing debt ceiling talks, at 1330 BST the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia would publish its closely followed regional factory index.
In parallel, the US Department of Labor was scheduled to release the latest weekly unemployment claims figures.
A full slate of Fed speakers also held the potential to move financial markets.
Fed Governor Philip Jefferson was expected to deliver remarks at 1405 BST, followed by fellow governor Michael Barr at 1430 BST and Dallas Fed chief Lorie Logan at 1500 BST.
On home shores, at 0845 BST, Bank of England chief economist was due to deliver the opening remarks at the CCBS Macro Finance workshop.
He would be followed at 1015 BST by Governor Andrew Bailey, who was set to testify before the Treasury Select Committee.
On the corporate side of things, Easyjet was due to report its first half results.
The latest guidance from the carrier is for a loss of approximately £400m, but for the full-year management was anticipating profits of £260m.
It also guided towards a 9% rise to 56m seats flown.
Group sales meanwhile were pegged to come in at about £2.69bn with costs of around £3.1bn due to dearer fuel.
Thursday 18 May
INTERIMS
Nexus Infrastructure , Tritax Eurobox (GBP)
INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Barratt Developments
INTERIM EX-DIVIDEND DATE
BlackRock Greater Europe Inv Trust, Majedie Investments, Numis Corporation, Town Centre Securities
QUARTERLY PAYMENT DATE
M Winkworth
QUARTERLY EX-DIVIDEND DATE
BlackRock Sustainable American Income Trust, GSK, NextEnergy Solar Fund Limited Red, Octopus Renewables Infrastructure Trust , Pershing Square Holdings Ltd NPV, Pershing Square Holdings Ltd NPV (USD), TwentyFour Select Monthly Income Fund Limited , Unilever, Wheaton Precious Metals Corp.NPV (CDI)
INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
Continuing Claims (US) (13:30)
Existing Home Sales (US) (15:00)
Initial Jobless Claims (US) (13:30)
Philadelphia Fed Index (US) (13:30)
Q4
BT Group
FINALS
Burberry Group, Investec, National Grid, Premier Foods
ANNUAL REPORT
Brighton Pier Group (The)
SPECIAL EX-DIVIDEND DATE
Elecosoft Public Limited Company
AGMS
Belvoir Group, Capital Limited (DI), Central Asia Metals, Ceres Power Holdings, Convatec Group , Diaceutics , Digital 9 Infrastructure NPV, Energean , Fintel, Genuit Group, Inchcape, JPMorgan American Inv Trust, Legal & General Group, Lloyds Banking Group, Merchants Trust, Michelmersh Brick Holdings, MusicMagpie, Network International Holdings, Next, Niox Group, PensionBee Group , Public Policy Holding Company, Inc. (DI) (REG S, CAT3), Quilter, Riverstone Credit Opportunities Income, Safestyle UK , Science Group , Science Group , Secure Trust Bank, Smart Metering Systems, Somero Enterprises Inc. (DI), St James's Place, Tyman, Unite Group, Vesuvius, Vistry Group , Yu Group
FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
AIREA, Aviva, Morgan Sindall Group, Personal Group Holdings, Travis Perkins
FINAL EX-DIVIDEND DATE
Advanced Medical Solutions Group, Balfour Beatty, BlackRock Smaller Companies Trust, Bunzl, Churchill China, Elecosoft Public Limited Company, Essentra, Fintel, H&T Group, Holders Technology, Irish Continental Group Units (Comp) (CDI), Ocean Wilsons Holdings Ltd., Pagegroup, Science Group , Spectris, Ten Entertainment Group , Vector Capital
Q1
Helios Towers
