Friday preview: US consumer confidence, Wood Group in focus
The news-flow on both the economic and corporate calendars is set to shift lower by several gears at the end of the week, with no major economic releases expected out of the UK or China.
Against that backdrop, the most market-sensitive report will be the University of Michigan's preliminary reading on US consumer confidence for May, alongside a reading on import prices in April.
Markets will also be keeping an eye out for an interview with the Bank of England's Ben Broadbent on The Today Programme which is due to air at 0750 BST.
In the euro area meanwhile, European Central Bank chief Mario Draghi is set to deliver a speech at the 8th Edition of the European University Institute's State of the Union in Florence, Italy.
On the corporate side of things, several FTSE 350 constituents are set to hold their AGMs, including Wood Group, Man Group, BBA Aviation and RSA Insurance.
Ahead of the former's, the oilfield services group is expected to provide a qualitative trading update, with analysts at UBS telling clients they will be watching for any remarks on the company's end markets, as well as for any deal-specific comments on cost synergy run rates.
Nevertheless, any new information was likely to be limited, they said.
BBA Aviation is also due out with a trading update, amid analyst chatter around the potential for additional M&A investment.
The aviation services company's core Signature division may also generate some positive headlines, given the easy year-on-year comparisons early in 2018.
Friday May 11
INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Northamber, Photo-Me International, Softcat
QUARTERLY PAYMENT DATE
Scottish Inv Trust
INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
Import and Export Price Indices (US) (13:30)
U. of Michigan Confidence (Prelim) (US) (15:00)
FINALS
TalkTalk Telecom Group
SPECIAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
4Imprint Group, 888 Holdings, Artemis VCT
AGMS
Alpha Fx Group , BBA Aviation, GLI Finance Limited, Man Group, Mobeus Income & Growth 4 Vct, Morgan Advanced Materials , RSA Insurance Group, Wood Group (John)
FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
4Imprint Group, 888 Holdings, Amiad Water Systems Ltd, Anglo American, British Smaller Companies VCT 2, Devro, Drax Group, FBD Holdings, Fisher (James) & Sons, Global Ports Holding, Harwood Wealth Management Group, InterContinental Hotels Group, International Personal Finance, Johnson Service Group, Maintel Holdings, Millennium & Copthorne Hotels, Miton Group, Pearson, Science Group , Smurfit Kappa Group, Travis Perkins
Q1
Afarak Group (DI)