Thursday preview: ECB, US data in focus

All eyes at the end of the week will be on the European Central Bank.

Rate-setters in Frankfurt are widely expected to announce a 25 basis point reduction in short-term official interest rates, with the deposit rate seen falling to 2.25%.

Also due out in the euro area, at 0600 GMT, are German producer price data for the month of March.

Readings on monthly US housing starts and permits, weekly jobless claims and factory activity in the mid-Atlantic region will follow at 1230 GMT.

Thursday 17 April

INTERIMS

Rc Fornax

INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Craneware, Thorpe (F.W.)

INTERIM EX-DIVIDEND DATE

Miton UK Microcap Trust, Nippon Active Value Fund

QUARTERLY EX-DIVIDEND DATE

JpMorgan China Growth & Income , M Winkworth, TwentyFour Select Monthly Income Fund Limited

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Building Permits (US) (13:30)

Business Inventories (US) (00:00)

Continuing Claims (US) (13:30)

Housing Starts (US) (13:30)

Initial Jobless Claims (US) (13:30)

Philadelphia Fed Index (US) (13:30)

Producer Price Index (GER) (07:00)

FINALS

Integrated Diagnostics Holdings, Sainsbury (J)

SPECIAL EX-DIVIDEND DATE

Foresight VCT, Fresnillo, Sabre Insurance Group

EGMS

SDIC Power Holdings Co.,Ltd GDR (Reg S)

AGMS

BP

TRADING ANNOUNCEMENTS

Rentokil Initial

FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Conduit Holdings Limited Com Shs (DI), IDOX, Nexus Infrastructure , Rio Tinto

FINAL EX-DIVIDEND DATE

AIREA, Antofagasta, Arbuthnot Banking Group, BAE Systems, Baillie Gifford Shin Nippon, Capital Limited (DI), Convatec Group , Costain Group, Dowlais Group, Fresnillo, Grafton Group Ut (CDI), JPMorgan American Inv Trust, Jupiter Fund Management , London Stock Exchange Group, Merchants Trust, Rolls-Royce Holdings, Sabre Insurance Group, STV Group, Travis Perkins, Unite Group, Weir Group