Week Ahead: Next to report on Christmas trading

31st Dec 2011 10:37

Wednesday looks like it could be a big day for the retail sector with fashion chain Next making a trading announcement that should give a clue to how the festive shopping season went.Next's performance may not necessarily be a reliable indicator for how the High Street in general performed over Christmas, however; the stock was one of the top three performing FTSE 100 stocks in 2011, suggesting that it has been less prone to the tribulations suffered by many of its retail peers.On the economic front, the big data is US non-farm payrolls on Friday, though Tuesday's release of the minutes from the December 13th meeting of the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) will also be closely scrutinised. Investors will be hoping for some glimmers of optimism from the FOMC - the Federal Reserve's policy-making committee - that the US economy might be turning the corner.Monday January 02INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATERights & Issues Inv Trust Capital SharesINTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTSPMI Manufacturing (EU) (09:00)PMI Manufacturing (GER) (08:55)Tuesday January 03INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATEAmec, Bunzl, Fuller Smith & Turner, Headlam Group, Homeserve, NextINTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTSConstruction Spending (US) (15:00)ISM Manufacturing (US) (15:00)ISM Prices Paid (US) (15:00)Unemployment Rate (GER) (08:55)UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTSPMI Manufacturing (09:30)FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATEA&J Mucklow GroupWednesday January 04INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATEGreat Portland Estates, Slingsby H.C, VPINTERIM EX-DIVIDEND DATEAlbion Income & Growth VCT, Aveva Group, Bisichi Mining, Dairy Crest Group, FirstGroup, Halma, ICAP, Jupiter Second Split Trust Geared Shares, Latham (James), Micro Focus International, Monks Inv Trust, Mothercare, MS International, ProVen VCT, Solid State, Speedy Hire, Vertu Motors, VolexQUARTERLY 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)MBA Mortgage Applications (US) (12:00)PMI Composite (EU) (09:00)PMI Composite (GER) (08:55)PMI Services (EU) (09:00)PMI Services (GER) (08:55)FINALSSinclair (William) HoldingsIMSSDomino's Pizza UK & IRLSPECIAL EX-DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATEEuropean Investment Trust, F&C Private Equity trust Restricted SharesAGMSCharterisTRADING ANNOUNCEMENTSNextUK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS Construction PMI (09:30)PMI Construction (09:30)FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATETown Centre SecuritiesFINAL EX-DIVIDEND DATECharacter Group, European Investment Trust, Impax Asset Management Group, ITE Group, JPMorgan Asian Inv Trust, Majedie Investments, Next Fifteen Communications, Proactis Holdings, Schroder UK Mid Cap Fund, Scottish Inv Trust, Smiths News, Standard Life European Private Equity Trust, Starvest, WH SmithThursday January 05INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATEBig Yellow Group, Caledonia Investments, Hogg Robinson Group, London Stock Exchange Group, Rolls-Royce Group, SepuraQUARTERLY PAYMENT DATEGlaxoSmithKlineINTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTSBloomberg Consumer Confidence (US) (14:45)Continuing Claims (US) (13:30)Crude Oil Inventories (US) (15:30)Industrial new orders (00:00)Initial Jobless Claims (US) (13:30)ISM Non-Manufacturing (US) (15:00)ISM Services (US) (15:00)PMI Construction (GER) (08:55)Producer Price Index (EU) (10:00)AGMSClinton CardsUK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTSOfficial Reserves (09:30)PMI Services (09:30)Friday January 06INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATEBrown (N.) Group, Castings, Cello Group, Dee Valley Group, Dee Valley Group (Non-Voting), Hill & Smith Holdings, Intermediate Capital Group, Investment Company, JD Sports Fashion, Majestic Wine, Management Consulting Group, May Gurney Integrated Services, Montanaro European Smaller Companies Trust, Norcros, Northern 2 VCT, Northern Investors Co, Plastics Capital, Sainsbury (J), Tate & Lyle, Value and Income TrustQUARTERLY PAYMENT DATEBritish Assets Trust, Schlumberger Ltd.INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTSBusiness Climate Indicator (EU) (10:00)Economic Sentiment Indicator (EU) (10:00)Non-Farm Payrolls (US) (13:30)Retail Sales (EU) (10:00)Unemployment Rate (EU) (10:00)Unemployment Rate (US) (13:30)GMSAnglo AmericanIMSSCaledonia InvestmentsSPECIAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATEBritish Empire Securities & General Trust, LatchwaysTRADING ANNOUNCEMENTSRobert WaltersUK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTSNew Car Registrations (09:30)FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATEAvation, British Empire Securities & General Trust, Netcall, Noble Investments (UK), Origin Enterprises--jh