Week Ahead: Supermarkets, recruiters, BoE rate decision

Retailers and recruiters are to the fore next week, with Tesco, Sainsbury and Marks & Spencer (M&S) from the former constituency, and Robert Waters, Hays and Michael Page from the latter all set to update the market.Britain's largest retail group, Tesco, releases interim figures on Tuesday. The group is famed for driving hard bargains with its suppliers but it announced in the middle of last month that it would start paying its milk suppliers an extra 1.28p per litre from the beginning of October. The move is unlikely to be a sign that management is going soft, and is more likely a recognition that milk producers may have been squeezed too hard recently; Tesco's announcement came a day after Robert Wiseman Dairies issued a profit warning.As is always the case with the supermarkets, focus is likely to be on like for like sales, but the company may also reveal a bit more about plans to move into Mothercare's market with a series of standalone "Baby World" stores.Sainsbury, meanwhile, is said to be contemplating opening up a new front in its long-term battle against Tesco by branching out in to China. Newspaper reports suggest the company has sent a team of executives to China to ascertain whether the idea is a goer. British retailers have not had the best of experiences with overseas expansion but China is the fastest growing grocery market in the world, and is probably too big to ignore.In the recruitment world things have been looking up of late, with markets returning to growth after a tough couple of years. As confidence slowly returns to the market so companies are more inclined to take on permanent recruits, so it would be no surprise to see the recruiters see a rise in the number of permanent placements offset by a decline in temporary placements.On the economic front, the Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) announces its interest rate decision and quantitative easing (QE) policy on Thursday.There seems little doubt that it is the QE decision that is more eagerly awaited; it would be a major shock were the MPC to hike interest rates, though renegade committee member Andrew Sentance will likely remain the lone dissenting voice on this front. Even though the inflation rate remains stubbornly above 3% and well above the Bank's target level of 2%, the economic revival is probably still too fragile to countenance lifting the cost of borrowing just yet.In fact, the economic revival is so fragile that the MPC, mindful of the effects that the proposed cutbacks in public spending could have on the economy, may decide to resume QE after an eight-month interval.Data released on Friday showed that British manufacturing activity slowed more than expected in September, adding to concerns of a substantial slowdown in economic growth in the third quarter. The Markit/Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply manufacturing PMI index fell to 53.4 in September from 53.7 the previous month. Investors had been expecting a reading of about 53.8. A reading above 50 indicates expansion.The pound fell to a four-month low against the euro on expectations the latest data lends support to Bank of England policymaker Adam Posen's calls for more quantitative easing.Earlier this week, Posen said more money should be pumped into the UK economy to keep the recovery on track and avoid a similar fate to the slump that hit Japan in the 1990s, but he subsequently said that he was open to persuasion that his enthusiasm for a revival of QE may be premature.Monday October 04INTERIMSNovolip Regswi GDS (Reg S), PIK Group GDR (Reg S)INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATEARM Holdings, Jardine Lloyd Thompson Group, Novae GroupQUARTERLY EX-DIVIDEND DATEJP Morgan ChaseINTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTSBank of Japan MPC Meeting PMI Construction (GER) (08:55)PMI Construction (EU) (09:00)Sentix Investor Confidence Survey (9.30) (EU)Producer Price Index (EU) (10:00)Business Inventories (US) (15:00)Factory Orders (US) (15:00)Pending Homes Sales (US) (15:00)GMSMotive Television, Sinclair PharmaFINALSAnimalcare Group, Waterman GroupANNUAL REPORTWaterman GroupIMSSXP PowerSPECIAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATEPetminEGMSMillwall HoldingsAGMSCambium Global Timberland Ltd.TRADING ANNOUNCEMENTSTricorn GroupUK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTSPMI Construction (09:30)FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATEPetminTuesday October 05INTERIMSCrawshaw Group, TescoINTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATEHolders Technology, Kazakhmys, Rexam, Standard CharteredINTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTSBank of Japan Target RatePMI Services (FRA) (08:50)PMI Services (GER) (08:55)PMI Services (EU) (09:00)PMI Composite (EU) (09:00)Retail Sales (EU) (10:00)ISM Non-Manufacturing (US) (15:00)ISM Services (US) (15:00)ABC Consumer Confidence (US) (22:00)FINALSCVS Group, EpiStem Holdings, St Ives, Trading EmissionsIMSSNorthern FoodsAGMSUniVision EngineeringTRADING ANNOUNCEMENTSNorthern Foods, TUI TravelUK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTSBRC Sales Monitor (00:01)Official Reserves (09:30)PMI Composite (09:30)PMI Services (09:30)Wednesday October 06INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATEChurchill China, Rathbone BrothersINTERIM EX-DIVIDEND DATEAdmiral Group, AG Barr, Atlantic Global, Balfour Beatty, Bodycote, Brammer, Capital & Counties Properties , Capital Shopping Centres Group, Cello Group, Cenkos Securities, Charles Taylor, Dealogic, Dillistone, Fairpoint Group, Fisher (James) & Sons, GVC Holdings, Hargreave Hale AIM VCT 2, Healthcare Locums, Henry Boot, Hydrogen Group, Judges Scientific, Keller Group, Kingfisher, Martin Currie Portfolio Trust, Motivcom, Nationwide Accident Repair Services, Northbridge Industrial Services, Octopus Apollo VCT 1, Octopus Apollo VCT 2, Octopus Apollo VCT 3, Octopus Eclipse VCT 2, Pinewood-Shepperton, S & U, StatPro Group, The Hotel Corporation, Total Produce, Weir GroupQUARTERLY EX-DIVIDEND DATEBritish Land Co, Merchants Trust, Schroder Income Growth FundINTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTSCrude Oil Inventories (US) (15:30)Factory Orders (GER) (11:00)GDP (2nd release) (EU) (10:00)MBA Mortgage Applications (US) (12:00)Q4SportingbetGMSFinders Resources, Medusa Mining, Vane MineralsFINALSSportingbetANNUAL REPORTTR European Growth TrustIMSSGreggs, Robert WaltersSPECIAL EX-DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATEAdmiral Group, TR European Growth TrustEGMSFinders ResourcesAGMSEdinburgh New Income Trust, Edinburgh New Income Trust ZDP SharesTRADING ANNOUNCEMENTSMarston's, Sainsbury (J)UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTSBRC Shop Price Index (00:01)New Car Registrations (09:30)FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATEPennon Group, PZ CussonsFINAL EX-DIVIDEND DATEBegbies Traynor Group, Close Brothers Group, Filtronic, Galliford Try, Pacific Horizon Inv Trust, TR European Growth TrustThursday October 07INTERIMSTed BakerINTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATEAbbey Protection, Amlin, Antofagasta, Croda International, Eurasian Natural Resources, GlobeOp Financial Services, Shire Plc, Shore CapitalQUARTERLY PAYMENT DATEGlaxoSmithKlineINTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTSMachine Tool Orders (JPN)Leading Indicator Index (JPN) (05:00)Trade Balance (FRA) (07:45)Industrial Production (GER) (11:00)ECB Interest Rate (EU) (12:45)Continuing Claims (US) (13:30)Initial Jobless Claims (US) (13:30)Consumer Credit (US) (20:00)Q3Sandvine CorporationGMSNordic LandFINALSMatchtech, Nighthawk EnergyIMSSHays, Rank GroupEGMSBlackrock International LandAGMSIG Group Holdings, Kirkland Lake Gold, Ocean Power Technologies, ZetarTRADING ANNOUNCEMENTSHalfords Group, Marks & Spencer Group, Michael Page International, VictrexUK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTSHalifax House Price Index (09:30)Industrial Production (09:30)Manufacturing Production (09:30)BoE Interest Rate Decision (12:00)FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATEMid Wynd International Inv TrustFriday October 08INTERIMSPraesepeINTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATEBaronsmead AIM VCT, Cape, Cineworld Group, Dunedin Income Growth Inv Trust, Elderstreet VCT, Elementis, Evolution Group, Grafton Group (Units), International Personal Finance, Lincat Group, Michael Page International, Millennium & Copthorne Hotels, Nestor Healthcare, Parkwood Holdings, Regus, Resolution, ROK, SEGRO, Stadium Group, T Clarke, The ReThink Group, Thomas Cook Group, WSP Group, XstrataQUARTERLY PAYMENT DATEBritish Assets TrustINTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTSBankruptices (JPN)Balance of Trade (GER) (07:00)Current Account (GER) (07:00)Retail Price Index (GER) (07:00)Retail Sales (GER) (07:00)Balance of Trade (EU) (10:00)Non-Farm Payrolls (US) (13:30)Unemployment Rate (US) (13:30)Wholesales Inventories (US) (15:00)GMSDignityFINALSCAP-XXANNUAL REPORTAIREAAGMSOrtac ResourcesUK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTSProducer Price Index (09:30)FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATEACM Shipping, Hampson Industries, Henderson Smaller Companies Inv Trust, Kesa Electricals, Maxima Holdings, Phoenix IT Group, Prosperity Minerals Holdings, Umeco