LONDON (ShareCast) - (Sharecast News) - The focus of Thursday's session is likely to be inflation readings on either side of the Pond, although the minutes of the US Federal Reserve's last policy meeting may also make for interesting reading.
Given the recent slide in energy prices, Thursday's report on 'core' US PCE prices for November may yield a downside surprise, with the same being true of a preliminary reading on German consumer prices.

Later in the session and after the close of markets in London, the spotlight will be on the minutes of the 7-8 November meeting of the US Federal Open Market Committee.

In particular, some analysts believe that rate-setters in America may have debated further regarding their plans for the eventual end state for the central bank's balance sheet.

Back in the UK, investors will be waiting on consumer credit and mortgage lending figures from the Bank of England referencing the month of November, at 0930 GMT.

A raft of corporates are scheduled to update clients on Thursday, including Thomas Cook and Tullow Oil.

For the former, which was due to release its full-year results, analysts at UBS said markets were likely to focus on the tour operator's winter schedules and the first indications for the summer schedules in fiscal year 2019.

Investors would also be looking for any medium-term financial guidance from the company as well as information on its contingency plans in case of a hard Brexit.

For fiscal year 2019, analyst Cristian Nedelcu was projecting earnings before interest and tax of £289m, versus a consensus estimate of £311m.



As for Tullow, which was to host its Capital Markets Day on Thursday afternoon, analyst Amy Wong was looking for further information on the oil explorer's activities in Guyana, Kenya, Uganda and Ghana.

Regarding the latter, Wong wanted more data on production rates and the number of wells it was planning to drill at the TEN and Jubilee fields.

Thursday November 29

INTERIMS

BCA Marketplace, Fidelity China Special Situations , Great Eastern Energy Corp Ltd. GDR, Greene King, Latham (James), LXI Reit , Motorpoint Group, PayPoint, Scholium Group, XPS Pensions Group

INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Bloomsbury Publishing, British American Inv Trust, Panther Securities

INTERIM EX-DIVIDEND DATE

600 Group, Caledonia Investments, CMC Markets, CML Microsystems, Creightons, Cropper (James), Electrocomponents, Establishment Inv Trust, First Property Group, Gresham House Strategic , Headlam Group, Helical, Hill & Smith Holdings, International Consolidated Airlines Group SA (CDI), JD Sports Fashion, Johnson Matthey, Liontrust Asset Management, Majestic Wine, Martin Currie Asia Unconstrained Trust , Norcros, Prime People, Redcentric, Renewi , Severn Trent, TalkTalk Telecom Group , Tarsus Group, Telecom Plus, TR Property Inv Trust, Triple Point Income VCT

QUARTERLY PAYMENT DATE

Greencoat Renewables

QUARTERLY EX-DIVIDEND DATE

Alpha Real Trust Ltd., Blackrock North American Income Trust , Canadian General Investments Ltd., Diversified Gas & Oil, Land Securities Group, Volta Finance Limited

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Business Climate Indicator (EU) (10:00)

Consumer Confidence (EU) (10:00)

Continuing Claims (US) (13:30)

Economic Sentiment Indicator (EU) (10:00)

Industrial Confidence (EU) (10:00)

Initial Jobless Claims (US) (13:30)

Pending Homes Sales (US) (15:00)

Personal Consumption Expenditures (US) (13:30)

Personal Spending (US) (13:30)

Services Confidence (EU) (10:00)

Unemployment Rate (GER) (08:55)

FINALS

Character Group, Daily Mail and General Trust A (Non.V), Lonmin, Premier Asset Management Group, Urban&Civic

ANNUAL REPORT

IronRidge Resources Limited (DI), URA Holdings

SPECIAL EX-DIVIDEND DATE

Keystone Inv Trust, VinaLand Ltd

EGMS

Real Estate Credit Investments Ltd

AGMS

ASOS, Crown Place VCT, CVS Group, Dunelm Group, Ferguson, Global Petroleum Ltd., Grit Real Estate Income Group Limited NPV (DI), Hotel Chocolat Group , Investment Company, IronRidge Resources Limited (DI), Kin and Carta , Oilex Ltd.

TRADING ANNOUNCEMENTS

Go-Ahead Group, Irish Continental Group Units, Thomas Cook Group

UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Consumer Credit (09:30)

M4 Money Supply (09:30)

Mortgage Approvals (09:30)

Nationwide House Price Index (07:00)

FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

JPMorgan Emerging Markets Inv Trust, Thorpe (F.W.), Wetherspoon (J.D.)

FINAL EX-DIVIDEND DATE

Aviva 8 3/4% Cumulative Irrd Preference 1, Baillie Gifford Japan Trust, Bellway, Brunner Investment 5% Prf, Carr's Group, Diploma, Euromoney Institutional Investor, General Accident 'A', Origin Enterprises, Sherborne Investors (Guernsey) 'B' Limited

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