Wednesday preview: BoE minutes provide focus

18th Aug 2009 17:27

All eyes will be on the Bank of England midweek as economists study minutes from the Monetary Policy Committee's meeting earlier this month.They'll be keen for more information on why the central bank made its surprise decision to extend its quantitative easing programme by £50bn.In an otherwise quiet day for corporate news, car dealer Lookers publishes half-year figures a day after rival Pendragon. Analysts at Panmure Gordon are looking for adjusted profit before tax of £15.9m, up from £15.3m in the first half of last year, despite a projected 8% decline in revenue to £956.1m. KBC Peel Hunt wants pre-tax profit of £16.1m and earnings per share of 6.2p. Pendragon reported sharply lower interim profits Tuesday as recession-hit motorists held onto their old cars rather than splashing out on new ones. But it said new car sales had been lifted by the government's 'car scrappage' scheme.Ex-dividends are likely to take a few points off the FTSE 100. British American Tobacco, Hammerson, Pearson and Prudential start trading without the right to the interim payout, while SABMiller and Scottish & Southern Energy go ex the final dividend.INTERIMSJohn Menzies, Lookers, MirLand Development Corporation, New World ResourcesINTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATEImperial Tobacco GroupINTERIM EX-DIVIDEND DATEAnglogold Ashanti, Baronsmead VCT 3, Baronsmead VCT 4, Brewin Dolphin, British American Tobacco, China Medical System Holdings, Hammerson, Pearson, Prudential, Psion, Stanley Gibbons, Ultra Electronics HoldingsQUARTERLY PAYMENT DATEMerchants TrustQUARTERLY EX-DIVIDEND DATEProdesse Investment Ltd., Thomson ReutersINTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTSProducer Prices (GER) (07:00)Current Account (EU) (09:00)Construction Output (EU) (10:00)Machine Tool Orders (JPN)FINALSNew World ResourcesAGMSAccsys TechnologiesUK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTSBoE Interest Rate Minutes (09:30)CBI Industrial Trends Survey (11:00)FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATEGoldshield Group, Halma, National GridFINAL EX-DIVIDEND DATEAshley House, Ashtead Group, Cyril Sweett, Dart Group, First Property Group, Gartmore Irish Growth, Latchways, NWF Group, PHSC, PZ Cussons, SABMiller, Scottish & Southern Energy