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Thursday preview: UK retail sales data, Easyjet reports trading statement
LONDON (ShareCast) - UK retail sales figures on Thursday will be closely watched for signs of how much consumer spending is contributing towards economic growth. Analysts predict the latest data from the Office for National Statistics will show retail sales increased 4.2% year-on-year in February, following a 4.8% increase a month earlier. Including autos, sales are pegged to climb 4.7% in February after a 5.4% gain in January.
At the time of January's ONS report on retail sales, Howard Archer, chief European and UK economist at IHS Global Insight, said: "The prospects for retail sales and consumer spending overall for 2015 currently look bright, given significantly improving real earnings growth, rising employment and elevated confidence." Company-wise investors will be looking out for a trading update on Easyjet . The airline has said that it projects a first half loss before tax between £10m and £30m.
Numis said: "We expect that Easyjet (Other OTC: ESYJY - news) will report that it now expects the first half pre-tax loss to be towards to lower end of its guidance (i.e. nearer a £10m loss than a £30m loss) with disruption and weather condition in the second quarter having been largely favourable.
"There was, we believe, also a positive read-across from the 13 March trading update from Dart Group (Other OTC: DRTGF - news) which indicated that group underlying operating profit for the full year 2015 would be ahead of market expectations with forward booking in the Leisure Travel business for summer 2015 'encouraging'." The broker issued a 'buy' rating for the company.
Thursday 26 March INTERIMS EpiStem Holdings (LSE: EHP.L - news) , Produce Investments INTERIM EX-DIVIDEND DATE Craneware (LSE: CRW.L - news) , Go-Ahead Group, Sky (Other OTC: BSYBF - news) , Smiths Group (Other OTC: SMGKF - news) , Symphony International Holdings Ltd., Thorpe (F.W.), Tristel QUARTERLY PAYMENT DATE Brunner Inv Trust QUARTERLY EX-DIVIDEND DATE British Land Co, Schroder Income Growth Fund INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS Continuing Claims (US) (12:30) GFK Consumer Confidence (GER) (07:00) Initial Jobless Claims (US) (12:30) M3 Money Supply (EU) (09:00) Q4 Signet Jewelers Ltd.
GMS (Taiwan OTC: 6481.TWO - news) Aviva (Other OTC: AIVAF - news) , IP Group (LSE: IPO.L - news) , IP Group, IP Group, IP Group FINALS Churchill China (LSE: CHH.L - news) , Concurrent Technologies (LSE: CNC.L - news) , Corero Network Security (LSE: CNS.L - news) , Henry Boot (LSE: BHY.L - news) , IFG Group, International Public Partnerships Ltd., Mission Marketing Group, Mortgage Advice Bureau (Holdings) , Personal Group Holdings, Safestyle UK (LSE: SFE.L - news) , Signet Jewelers Ltd.
ANNUAL REPORT Laird (LSE: LRD.L - news) , W H Ireland Group SPECIAL EX-DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE Bodycote (LSE: BOY.L - news) , Fidelity European Values, Symphony International Holdings Ltd.
AGMS Aukett Swanke Group , Blackrock Throgmorton Trust, Henderson Opportunities Trust, Independent Inv Trust, Jarvis Securities (LSE: JIM.L - news) , LPA Group (LSE: LPA.L - news) , MoneySwap (LSE: SWAP.L - news) , W H Ireland Group TRADING ANNOUNCEMENTS Daily Mail and General Trust A (Non.V) UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS CBI Distributive Trades Surveys (11:00) Internet Retail Sales (09:30) Retail Sales (09:30) FINAL EX-DIVIDEND DATE 32Red, BlackRock Latin American Inv Trust, BlackRock World Mining Trust, Bodycote, Bovis Homes Group, Countrywide (Other OTC: CTYWY - news) , Devro (Other OTC: DEVOY - news) , Driver Group, Essentra, Fidelity European Values, Foreign and Colonial Inv Trust, Hiscox Ltd (CDI), Ladbrokes (LSE: LAD.L - news) , LSL Property Services (LSE: LSL.L - news) , Moneysupermarket.com Group, Phoenix Group Holdings (DI (KSE: 003160.KS - news) ), Prudential (SES: K6S.SI - news) , Real Estate Investors, RTC Group (LSE: RTC.L - news) , Schroders (LSE: SDR.L - news) , Schroders (Non-Voting), SEGRO (Other OTC: SEGXF - news) , Stadium Group (LSE: SDM.L - news) , Wynnstay Group (LSE: WYN.L - news)
