What to Expect from the Week Ahead

The three trading days between Easter and the Royal Wedding will provide plenty of economic and corporate announcements of note

Morningstar.co.uk Editors 21 April, 2011 | 5:54PM
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Though many UK investors may be looking at the weather forecast rather than the corporate calendar over the coming week, there are a number of key corporate and economic announcements scheduled to keep those returning to their desks next Tuesday occupied.

Wednesday, the middle day of the 3-day trading week, will be particularly busy. Exactly a year and a week after the Gulf of Mexico disaster was triggered, BP (BP.) is due to report first-quarter results. The results are likely to contain an update on the costs associated with last year’s oil spill, and investors will also be keen to hear of any further news on the oil major’s decision to launch a $40 billion lawsuit against rig owner Transocean (RIG). Elsewhere, four more FTSE 100 members are scheduled to update the market on their performance - ARM Holdings (ARM), Associated British Foods (ABF), Barclays (BARC) and GlaxoSmithKline (GSK).

Meanwhile, the US Federal Open Market Committee will reveal the outcome of its monetary policy-setting meeting on Wednesday. This is the first time Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke will follow the meeting with a press conference and while the market does not expect an interest rate change, his words will be scanned for signals of the Fed’s stance going forward.

In addition to these events, the first estimate of UK GDP growth in the first quarter is also due that day. Independent forecasts gathered by the Treasury in April show expectations have dipped slightly in the past month, with the average estimate now pointing to economic expansion of 1.7% over 2011, compared with expectations of 1.8% growth registered in March. This latest estimate is in line with the 1.7% figure quoted by the Office for Budget Responsibility in its 2011 outlook.

Thursday will offer no respite from corporate and economic news. Majors AstraZeneca (AZN), British American Tobacco (BATS), BSkyB (BSY), Royal Dutch Shell (RDSB), Shire (SHP), Standard Life (SL.), Whitbread (WTB) and Unilever (ULVR) are all expected to either make result announcements or issue interim management statements. Across the pond, the US will release its first-quarter GDP estimate alongside the weekly jobless claims count. This figure, in addition to Tuesday’s US Conference Board consumer confidence survey and Friday’s March personal income data, should provide insight into the state of the US consumer, a key propeller of the US economy.

Monday
Easter Monday, UK Bank Holiday
International Economic Announcements
US: New Home Sales for March, Dallas Fed Manufacturing Activity Index for April

Tuesday
UK Economic Announcements
CBI Business Optimism for April
International Economic Announcements
US: S&P Case-Shiller HPI for March, Consumer Confidence for April, Richmond Fed Manufacturing Index for April

Wednesday
UK Corporate Announcements
Arm Holdings (ARM) 1Q results, Associated British Foods (ABF) interims, BP (BP.) 1Q results, Barclays (BARC) IMS, Fenner (FENR) interims, GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) 1Q results
UK Ex-dividend Dates
African Barrick Gold (ABG), ARM Holdings (ARM), Centrica (CNA), Croda International (CRDA), Drax Group (DRX), Ferrexpo (FXPO), Fresnillo (FRES), Tesco (TSCO)
UK Economic Announcements
First-quarter GDP
International Economic Announcements
Japan: Retail Sales for March, Small Business Confidence for April
EU: German CPI for April and GkK Consumer Confidence for April, French Consumer Confidence Indicator for April, EU Industrial New Orders for February
US: FOMC Meeting Announcement, March Durable Goods Orders

Thursday
UK Corporate Announcements
AstraZeneca (AZN) 1Q results, British American Tobacco (BATS) IMS, British Sky Broadcasting Group (BSY) 3Q results, Royal Dutch Shell (RDSB) 1Q results, Shire (SHP) 1Q results, Standard Life (SL.) 1Q trading results and IMS, Whitbread (WTB) prelims, Unilever (ULVR) 1Q results
UK Economic Announcements
GfK Consumer Confidence Survey for April
International Economic Announcements
Japan: Bank of Japan target rate, Unemployment Rate and CPI for March, Industrial Production for March
EU: French Consumer Spending for March and German Unemployment rate for April
US: first-quarter GDP, weekly jobless claims, Chicago Fed National Activity Index for March, Pending Home Sales Index for March

Friday
Royal Wedding, UK Bank Holiday
International Economic Announcements
EU: French PPI for March, EU flash HCPI for April and unemployment rate for March, EU Consumer, Economic and Industrial Confidence Surveys for April
US: Personal Income for March, Chicago PMI for April, University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment for April

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