Week ahead: Brexit talks set to dominate
All eyes over the coming week will be on the headlines around negotiations between London and Brussels to hammer out a 'political declaration' on the UK's future relationship with the European Union, which some hope will be wrapped up by Tuesday and may help the Prime Minister to see off the risk of a leadership challenge.
If sucessful, that would set the stage for the 25 November EU summit to approve the draft Withdrawal proposal which May's Cabinet has already approved, but were she to be pushed out, then the entire timeline for the negotiations would be thrown into doubt, likely stoking a negative reaction from already jittery investors on both sides of the Channel and across the Pond.
Hence, in parallel to all of the above, financial markets will also be keeping an eye out to see if more Tory MPs opt to ink a letter to Graham Brady, the chair of the party's 1922 Committee, ro request a confidence vote. At last count, 22 lawmakers had reportedly already announced that they had done so and it was possible that others might have already done so too but not said so publicly.
Nevertheless, some observers believed May might yet win any such vote thereby reinforcing her position.
Across the Pond, market movements were expected to be subdued, given the holiday-shortened trading week due to Thanksgiving, with US equity markets scheduled to remain closed on Thursday and to open for just half a session on Friday.
Wednesday was expected to be the heaviest day for economic releases in the States, with readings expected on durable goods orders for October, existing home sales and a final reading on consumer confidence for November, courtesy of the University of Michigan.
Initial weekly jobless claims figures were also set to be published on Wednesday and might ellicit a fair amount of 'market chatter' should they continue to come in above market forecasts.
On the Continent, the key release of the week was expected to be the preliminary IHS Markit manufacturing sector surveys for Germany and the euro area in November, which analysts said might help confirm - or otherwise - recent confident talk from policymakers at the European Central Bank around the outlook for the Eurozone economy.
Euro area current account figures for September, due out on Monday, might also make for an interesting read.
Back in the UK, the main data release of the week would be ONS's update on the public sector finances, referencing the month of October, on Wednesday.
Monday November 19
INTERIMS
Sirius Real Estate Ltd.
INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
Current Account (EU) (09:00)
GMS
Finsbury Growth & Income Trust, Mountview Estates
FINALS
Diploma
AGMS
Tau Capital, TR European Growth Trust
Tuesday November 20
INTERIMS
Accsys Technologies, AO World, Aveva Group, Big Yellow Group, Bonmarche Holdings, CML Microsystems, Eckoh, Electrocomponents, Halma, Homeserve, Scapa Group, Solid State, SRT Marine Systems, Telecom Plus
INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Intu Properties, Konami Holdings Corporation, Stilo International, Taptica International (DI)
INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
Building Permits (US) (13:30)
Housing Starts (US) (13:30)
Producer Price Index (GER) (07:00)
FINALS
Compass Group, CYBG , easyJet, EI Group, Focusrite
SPECIAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Konami Holdings Corporation
AGMS
CAP-XX Limited, Jupiter US Smaller Companies , Meikles Ltd., Pan African Resources, Physiomics, SQN Asset Finance Income Fund Limited, Wilmcote Holdings NPV
TRADING ANNOUNCEMENTS
CRH, Polypipe Group , SIG, Spectris
UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
CBI Industrial Trends Surveys (11:00)
FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Close Brothers Group
Wednesday November 21
INTERIMS
Alpha Financial Markets Consulting, Babcock International Group, Biffa, Creightons, Helical, Johnson Matthey, Liontrust Asset Management, NewRiver REIT, Syncona Limited NPV, TalkTalk Telecom Group , United Utilities Group
INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
Crude Oil Inventories (US) (15:30)
Durable Goods Orders (US) (13:30)
Existing Home Sales (US) (15:00)
MBA Mortgage Applications (US) (12:00)
U. of Michigan Confidence (US) (15:00)
Q3
Kingfisher
FINALS
C4X Discovery Holdings , Cambria Automobiles, Countryside Properties, Marston's, Paragon Banking Group, Sage Group, SSP Group
AGMS
Celtic, F&C UK Real Estate Investments Limited, Finsbury Food Group, SCS Group , UIL Limited (DI)
TRADING ANNOUNCEMENTS
Breedon Group
UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
Public Sector Net Borrowing (09:30)
FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Henderson EuroTrust, Ideagen
Thursday November 22
INTERIMS
Alpha Real Trust Ltd., Assura , Caledonia Investments, Charles Stanley Group, CMC Markets, First Property Group, Hornby, IMImobile , John Laing Environmental Assets Group Limited , Keller Group, Majestic Wine, Mitie Group, Mothercare, Mountview Estates, Redcentric, Severn Trent, TR Property Inv Trust
INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Centrica, Plus500 Ltd (DI)
INTERIM EX-DIVIDEND DATE
3i Infrastructure, B&M European Value Retail S.A. (DI), Castings, DCC, Downing Three VCT H Shs, Great Portland Estates, Mckay Securities, National Grid, Octopus Apollo VCT, Tate & Lyle, Tatton Asset Management , Ten Entertainment Group , Vodafone Group, Wynnstay Properties, Young & Co's Brewery 'A' Shares, Yu Group
QUARTERLY PAYMENT DATE
M Winkworth
QUARTERLY EX-DIVIDEND DATE
BlackRock World Mining Trust, Carnival, HICL Infrastructure Company Ltd, Premier Global Infrastructure Trust
INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
Continuing Claims (US) (13:30)
Initial Jobless Claims (US) (13:30)
Q3
Bank of Georgia Group
FINALS
Euromoney Institutional Investor, Mitchells & Butlers
SPECIAL EX-DIVIDEND DATE
River and Mercantile Group
AGMS
Berkeley Energia Limited (DI), daVictus, JPMorgan Emerging Markets Inv Trust, Thorpe (F.W.), URA Holdings
TRADING ANNOUNCEMENTS
Centrica, Rotork
FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Mulberry Group
FINAL EX-DIVIDEND DATE
AB Dynamics, Balfour Beatty Cum Cnv Red Prf , CVS Group, Edinburgh Dragon Trust, Finsbury Food Group, Genesis Emerging Markets Fund Ltd Ptg NPV, Hotel Chocolat Group , JPMorgan Japanese Inv Trust, Kin and Carta , London Finance & Investment Group, Northern Venture Trust, Oleeo, River and Mercantile Group , Sanditon Investment Trust, Smart (J) & Co., Volution Group (WI)
Friday November 23
INTERIMS
Fuller Smith & Turner, Record
INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Aberdeen New Thai Inv Trust, Amati AIM Vct , Animalcare Group, Bovis Homes Group, CareTech Holding, Howden Joinery Group, Lookers, Montanaro UK Smaller Companies Inv Trust, Morgan Advanced Materials , Moss Bros Group, Next Fifteen Communications, Saga , Smart Metering Systems, Ted Baker, Tesco, Walker Greenbank
QUARTERLY PAYMENT DATE
Primary Health Properties, Tetragon Financial Group Limited
INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
Gross Domestic Product (GER) (07:00)
SPECIAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Bovis Homes Group, Catalyst Media Group
AGMS
Base Resources Ltd , Crystal Amber Fund Ltd., Mc Mining Limited, Origin Enterprises, Petra Diamonds Ltd.(DI), Sylvania Platinum Ltd (DI)
FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Foresight Solar & Infrastructure VCT, Go-Ahead Group, Jupiter UK Growth Investment Trust, Ricardo, Springfield Properties