LONDON (ShareCast) - The economic calendar for the Wednesday session is rather sparse, but contains what is perhaps the main risk event of the week, the release of the minutes of the most recent Fed policy meeting.
Whereas most economists have shifted their forecasts for the first rise in the Fed funds rate towards the second quarter of 2015, markets are a tad more cautious and a small minority of observers has been growing more vocal regarding the risks of possibly tightening too soon.

Also to be had in account is the recent notable appreciation witnessed in the US dollar index and the tightening in monetary conditions Stateside which that implies, amongst other factors.

To an extent the above is part-and-parcel of a truly improving economy but there is, perhaps, also an element of excessive economic weakness in the Eurozone and Asia to this story. At least on paper, that has a direct bearing on how the Fed should confront the current situation in policy terms. Unfortunately, the Fed minutes will likely contain little in the way of details on US central bankers' thoughts on the long-term dynamics which are in play.

Over on the corporate front, Cape and Spirent are due to hold their respective Capital Markets Day, with Dixon's Carphone due to update investors on its strategy.

As regards 'hard' economic data in Britain, that will be limited to the BRC's monthly shop price index.

Wednesday 8 October

INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
JPMorgan American Inv Trust, Rathbone Brothers, Shore Capital Group Ltd.

QUARTERLY EX-DIVIDEND DATE
Middlefield Canadian Income PCC

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
Crude Oil Inventories (US) (15:30)
FOMC Interest Rate Minutes (US) (19:00)
MBA Mortgage Applications (US) (12:00)
G-20 meeting due to begin

GMS
Mopowered Group

EGMS
Macromac

AGMS
Goodwin Plc

CAPITAL MARKETS DAY
Cape, Spirent

STRATEGY UPDATE DAY
Dixon's Carphone

TRADING ANNOUNCEMENTS
FirstGroup, Marston's

UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
BRC Shop Price Index (00:01)

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