Tuesday preview: Gulfsand Petroleum, PMI Construction

2nd Apr 2012 15:58

After the Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) for Manufacturing was released on Monday it is the turn of the Construction sector to have its PMI pulse felt on Tuesday.Market expecations are for the March reading to ease to 53.5 from 54.3 in February, though it is worth noting that any value above 50 still indicates an expansion in activity.It is a thin week for corporate news-flow, despite having to cram in a week's worth of announcements in to four days, thanks to the Good Friday holiday. Tuesday is set to be a quiet day, with Bond International Software, Gulfsands Petroleum, Huntsworth and Vernalis among the few scheduled to make results announcements.Shareholders in Gulfsands Petroleum, the oil and gas company with significant interests in Syria, will be keen to learn if the company has made any progress in getting paid the $25m or so it claims it is owed in respect of oil produced from its Block 2 asset in Syria.INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATEPennon GroupQUARTERLY EX-DIVIDEND DATEJP Morgan Chase & Co, Torchmark Corp.INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTSAuto Sales (US) (15:00)Factory Orders (US) (15:00)Goods Orders (US) (15:00)FINALSBond International Software, Gulfsands Petroleum, Huntsworth, VernalisUK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTSPMI Construction (09:30)