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Thursday preview: MPC in focus, 'crunch time' at BT
The market spotlight will be firmly on Governor Carney and his fellow rate-setters at the Bank of England on Thursday, as they field questions on the recent slowdown in the economy, its likely length and implications for monetary policy.
As if that were not already a tall order, recent events around Iran are likely to add to the complexity of any analysis, albeit perhaps while also serving to underline the multiple uncertainties facing companies and individuals - and not just in the UK.
Against that backdrop, and with US 10-year Treasury yields hovering near the psychological 3.0% mark, investors will also be waiting for the release of consumer price data in the States referencing the month of April.
Earlier in the session, markets will be perusing the contents of the latest monthly bulletin from the European Central Bank for any hints about the Governing Council's next moves.
Against that backdrop, and perhaps distorting the market reaction a bit, a raft of FTSE 350 companies are set to update investors on Thursday, including BT, in what one City-based analyst described as 'crunch time' for the group.
Analysts' forecasts were for the embattled telecommunications outfit to deliver full-year earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation of £7.496bn, compared to management's own guidance for between £7.5bn and £7.6bn.
Normalised equity free cash flow meanwhile was pegged at £2.772bn.
Nevertheless, what analysts most appeared to want were updates on the group's strategy, with BT expected to guide towards EBITDA of £7.475bn for the 2019 fiscal year.
In particular, analysts appear to be somewhat divided on the prospects for heightened infrastructure competition in the UK along the lines of what has been unfolding in Italy at the hands of Open Fiber, although some did believe it was a potential vulnerability.
Indeed, some even saw the government and the regulator as interested parties in such developments.
Thursday May 10
INTERIMS
On The Beach Group
INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Begbies Traynor Group, SCS Group
INTERIM EX-DIVIDEND DATE
Fidelity Special Values, PRS Reit (The) , Sage Group, Smart (J) & Co., Symphony International Holdings Ltd.
QUARTERLY PAYMENT DATE
BlackRock World Mining Trust
QUARTERLY EX-DIVIDEND DATE
BP, Ediston Property Investment Company, GlaxoSmithKline, Picton Property Income Ltd, Royal Dutch Shell 'A', Royal Dutch Shell 'B'
INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
Consumer Price Index (US) (13:30)
Q4
BT Group
FINALS
BT Group, Stobart Group Ltd.
SPECIAL EX-DIVIDEND DATE
Dragon-Ukrainian Properties & Development, Fidessa Group, Symphony International Holdings Ltd., U And I Group
EGMS
Trading Emissions, Unite Group
AGMS
AIREA, Arbuthnot Banking Group, Aviva, BAE Systems, Clarkson, Communisis, Condor Gold, Convatec Group , Direct Line Insurance Group, Gresham Technologies, Irish Continental Group Units, ITV, Jardine Matheson Holdings Ltd (Singapore Reg), Jardine Strategic Holdings Ltd. (Singapore), John Laing Group , Melrose Industries, Michelmersh Brick Holdings, OneSavings Bank, Rathbone Brothers, Robinson, Savannah Resources, Serco Group, SIG, The Renewables Infrastructure Group Limited, TP ICAP, Triple Point Social Housing Reit, TT Electronics, Tyman, Unite Group, Vesuvius
TRADING ANNOUNCEMENTS
Arrow Global Group, Beazley, Coca-Cola HBC AG (CDI), Derwent London, Hansard Global, ITV, Morrison (Wm) Supermarkets, Next, Rathbone Brothers, RSA Insurance Group, Sabre Insurance Group, SIG, Superdry, Titon Holdings, TP ICAP
UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
Industrial Production (08:30)
Manufacturing Production (09:30)
RICS Housing Market Survey (00:01)
FINAL EX-DIVIDEND DATE
Admiral Group, Barr (A.G.), Centaur Media, Centrica, Diversified Gas & Oil, Downing Three VCT H Shs, Downing Two VCT G Shs, Eddie Stobart Logistics , Epwin Group, Fidessa Group, Hiscox Limited (DI), Hochschild Mining, Hostelworld Group , Ibstock , Moss Bros Group, North Midland Construction, Ocean Wilsons Holdings Ltd., Polymetal International, Quixant, Robert Walters, SDL, Share plc, Trinity Mirror
Q1
Arrow Global Group, Telecom Egypt SAE GDS (Regs)