London Report: Inflation report to give clues for future rates rise
ALL EYES will be on Bank of England governor Mark Carney this week when he delivers the week’s big economic set piece event with the Bank’s quarterly inflation report on Wednesday.
Investors will be hoping his forecasts for growth and inflation give a clearer signal about when interest rates will finally rise.
Britain’s growth forecasts are expected to be upgraded in the report, which could signal an earlier than expected rate rise in 2015.
On Thursday, euro area growth figures from the likes of France, Germany and Italy will be released and Russia could also release its first quarter growth figures.
In the corporate sector, news will be dominated by the ongoing saga surrounding Pfizer’s approach for UK rival AstraZeneca.
Pfizer chief executive Ian Read and his key lieutenants will appear at the business select committee tomorrow alongside AstraZeneca boss Pascal Soriot. Business secretary Vince Cable will also appear.
Read and Soriot will reprise their role at the science and technology committee on Wednesday, appearing for more questioning in front of backbench MPs.
The corporate earnings calendar is busy again this week, with Capita and Dignity reporting first quarter figures today alongside Diploma, which unveils half year numbers. Lonmin, Jelf Group and Cambria Africa are also reporting numbers today.
Tomorrow Home Retail, Interserve, Ithaca Energy, Lookers and Wilmington, Enterprise Inns, Speedy Hire, EasyJet, Velti and Tui Travel report their figures.
On Wednesday it is the turn of British Land, Centaur Media, Galliford Try, 3i Group, Compass Group, Icap, Novae, Rathbone Brothers and UDG Healthcare to unveil how well they have done recently.
Thursday’s numbers are set to come from Centamin, Chime Comms, Dixons Retail, Euromoney, Informa, Kier, Land Securities, NewRiver Retail, Optos, Premier Farnell, Rank Group, Restaurant Group, Ricardo, Shanks, Tarsus, Vesuvius, Impax Asset Management, London Stock Exchange, Marston’s, Shanks Group, and Vedanta.
On Friday Alpha Pyrenees, Grainger, Headlam, John Menzies, Keller, Stobart Group, and SIG will report their results to round off the busy corporate calendar.