Week Ahead: Aggreko, National Express, BoE minutes

16th Dec 2011 08:43

It may be the week before Christmas next week but it will not be quite the non-event that some traders already in holiday mood are hoping for.On the company news front temporary power provider Aggreko and bus and train operator National Express are both set to update the market, while in the economic arena, the minutes from the December meeting of the Bank of England's policy setting committee are set for release.Aggreko, the sixth best performing FTSE 100 stock so far this year, raised its full-year profits guidance for the full-year after a strong performance in the third quarter, and it has a history of doing better than the market expects.The downside to that reputation is that an update in which it merely trades in lien with expectation could see the stock severely punished. National Express also had a decent third quarter, with revenues up 5% from a year earlier, as strong growth in the US and in UK Rail and Coach offset a more subdued performance in UK Bus.In November, the Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) voted 9-0 in favour of maintaining the status quo on rates and asset purchases, and the general expectation is that the 9-0 result would have been repeated at December's meeting.Though there is an argument that yet more financial stimulation may be needed further down the road, it is only two months since the Bank only extended its quantitative easing programme, so it is probable that the MPC would want to wait to see how that move works out before taking any further action.Monday December 19INTERIMSF&C Global Smaller CompaniesINTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATEChamberlin, Telecom Plus, UBC Media GroupQUARTERLY PAYMENT DATEBPQUARTERLY EX-DIVIDEND DATECanadian General Investments Ltd., Total SAINTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTSCurrent Account (EU) (09:00)SPECIAL EX-DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATECanadian General Investments Ltd.AGMSKedco, Proactis Holdings, ShalkiyaZinc NV GDR (Reg S)TRADING ANNOUNCEMENTSAggrekoFINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATEFidelity Special Values, Sherborne Investors (Guernsey) 'A' Shares, Smart (J) & Co.Tuesday December 20INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATEInvestec, RecordINTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTSBuilding Permits (US) (13:30)GFK Consumer Confidence (GER) (07:00)Housing Starts (US) (13:30)IFO Business Climate (GER) (09:00)IFO Current Assessment (GER) (09:00)IFO Expectations (GER) (09:00)Producer Price Index (GER) (07:00)EGMSGlobaltrans Investment GDR (Reg S)AGMSBerkeley Mineral Resources, CIC Mining Resources, Gemfields, Henderson Far East Income Ltd., Independent Resources, JPMorgan Japanese Inv Trust, Keystone Inv Trust, Power Capital Global Ltd.TRADING ANNOUNCEMENTSNational Express Group, WSP GroupUK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTSCBI Distributive Trends Surveys (11:00)Consumer Confidence (09:30)GFK Consumer Confidence (00:01)FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATECVS GroupWednesday December 21INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATEE2V Technologies, London & Stamford Property Ltd., Metric Property Investments , PayPointINTERIM EX-DIVIDEND DATEAtkins (WS), Betfair Group, British Smaller Companies VCT, DS Smith, Greene King, Halfords Group, JPMorgan European Smaller Companies Trust , London & Associated PropertiesINTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTSConsumer Confidence Indicator (EU) (10:00)Crude Oil Inventories (US) (15:30)Existing Home Sales (US) (15:00)MBA Mortgage Applications (US) (12:00)FINALSArden PartnersANNUAL REPORTEdinburgh Worldwide Inv TrustAGMSRubicon Diversified InvestmentsUK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTSBoE Interest Rate Minutes (09:30)Public Sector Finances (09:30)FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATEJPMorgan Japanese Inv Trust, Standard Life Equity Income TrustFINAL EX-DIVIDEND DATEAlternative Networks, Avation, Carr's Milling IndustriesThursday December 22INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATECharles Stanley Group, Helical BarQUARTERLY PAYMENT DATETotal SAINTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTSBloomberg Consumer Confidence (US) (14:45)Continuing Claims (US) (13:30)GDP (Final) (US) (13:30)House Price Index (US) (15:00)Initial Jobless Claims (US) (13:30)Leading Indicators (US) (15:00)U. of Michigan Confidence (Final) (US) (15:00)GMSBrightside Group, European Goldfields Ltd.AGMSBlue Planet Worldwide Financials Inv Trust, Gem BioFuels, Peninsular Gold Ltd., Zambeef ProductsUK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTSBalance of Payments (09:30)Current Account (09:30)GDP (quarterly national accounts) (09:30)Index of Services (09:30)FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATEGETECH Group, Ultimate Finance GroupFINAL EX-DIVIDEND DATEZambeef ProductsFriday December 23INTERIMSGoodwin PlcINTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATEClean Energy Brazil, Rensburg AIM VCT, TescoINTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTSDurable Goods Orders (US) (13:30)New Homes Sales (US) (15:00)Personal Consumption Expenditures (US) (13:30)Personal Income (US) (13:30)Personal Spending (US) (13:30)SPECIAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATERensburg AIM VCTEGMSMarshall Wace TOPS Global Alpha UCITS Fund, Marshall Wace TOPS Global Alpha UCITS Fund EUR, Marshall Wace TOPS Global Alpha UCITS Fund USDUK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTSBBA Mortgage Lending Figures (09:30)FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATEJPMorgan Chinese Inv Trust, Keystone Inv Trust, St Ives--jh