LONDON (ShareCast) - (Sharecast News) - All eyes on Thursday would be on a slew of economic data in the US with a preliminary reading for fourth quarter gross domestic product figuring prominently.
Included in that report would be a key price gauge, the so-called GDP price index, which was expected to have slipped from a quarterly annualised pace of 4.4% in the third quarter to 3.2% in the fourth.

On the flip-side, consensus was for GDP growth to dip from 3.2% to 2.6%.

But Ian Shepherdson at Pantheon Macroeconomics was expecting a print nearer 4% on the back of inventory building.

Also due out were readings for weekly jobless claims, foreign trade, durable goods orders, and new home sales.

In the euro area meanwhile, the market spotlight would be on surveys for business and consumer confidence in Italy during January.

They were scheduled for release at 0900 GMT.

At 1100 GMT, the Confederation for British Industry would publish the results of its distributive trades survey for January.

Thursday 26 January

FINALS

IDOX

INTERIMS

Time Finance, Rank Group, Diageo

Q3

Wizz Air Holdings

Q4

St James's Place

TRADING ANNOUNCEMENTS

Intermediate Capital Group, Tate & Lyle

AGMs

Henderson European Focus Trust, Britvic, Auction Technology Group, Greencore Group (CDI), Barings Emerging Emea Opportunities

FINAL EX-DIVIDEND DATE

RWS Holdings, Tracsis

FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

WH Smith

INTERIM EX-DIVIDEND DATE

CQS Natural Resources Growth and Income, Foresight Solar Fund Limited, Sequoia Economic Infrastructure Income Fund Limited, Aew UK Reit, Henderson Far East Income Ltd., Ecofin Global Utilities and Infrastructure Trust, North Atlantic Smaller Companies Inv Trust, Schroder Oriental Income Fund Ltd., B.P. Marsh & Partners, Brickability Group, Solid State, CQS New City High Yield Fund Limited, Bankers Inv Trust, Pennon Group, NB Global Monthly Income Fund Limited Red Ord Shs NPV £

INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Volta Finance Limited, Volta Finance Limited NPV (GBP), The Global Smaller Companies Trust, Artemis Alpha Trust, Big Yellow Group

SPECIAL EX-DIVIDEND DATE

Centaur Media, Panther Securities

QUARTERLY EX-DIVIDEND DATE

City of London Inv Trust, Tufton Oceanic Assets Limited NPV

QUARTERLY PAYMENT DATE

Law Debenture Corp.

International Economic Announcements

Consumer Price Index (GER) (13:00)

Durable Goods Orders (US) (13:30)

Gross Domestic Product (US) (13:30)

Balance of Trade (US) (13:30)

Initial Jobless Claims (US) (13:30)

Personal Consumption Expenditures (US) (13:30)

New Homes Sales (US) (15:00)

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