Monday 8 March
-Full-year results from bid target Pearson, Phoenix Group, Senior and Direct Line
Tuesday 9 March
-Full-year results from Standard Life Aberdeen, ITV, Gamesys, IWG and Keller
-British Retail Consortium UK retail sales figures
-Japanese money supply growth data
-Japanese wage growth figures
-EU unemployment data
-EU GDP growth data for Q4 2020
-US NFIB smaller companies business confidence index
-In Europe, quarterly results from Continental , Salvatore Ferragamo and Leonardo
Wednesday 10 March
-Chinese and US producer price inflation data
The Chinese and US producer price inflation data will help indicate global inflation levels.
In January, the Chinese consumer price index (CPI) dropped 0.3% year-on-year, while the producer price index (PPI) rose 0.3% year-on-year, showing that China is exporting inflation around the world as it sells its goods.
In the US, January’s PPI rose 1.6% year-on-year, and 1.4% month-on-month with a good chance that this figure will accelerate this month too as commodity prices continue to rise.
Markets are “looking at vaccination programmes, ongoing monetary stimulus from governments and wondering if the result just could be a strong, even inflationary recovery. If so, that would end a 25-year-plus downtrend in inflation and usher in a totally different financial and economic environment,” said AJ Bell investment director Russ Mould.
-Legal & General full-year results
Shares in the life insurance giant have rallied by 75% from its post-pandemic lows, as its financial solidity, business model and long-term demographic trends underpin its recovery.
Legal & General paid out dividends of 17.57p per share in 2020, but is targeting a single-digit percentage growth in the annual dividend each year across 2021-2024, and a total pay-out of £5.6bn to £5.9bn.
Analysts predict a headline pre-tax profit of £2.5bn, compared to £2.3bn in 2019, which may drop slightly in 2021 to £2.4bn.
-DWP consultation ‘Taking action on climate risk: improving governance and reporting by occupational pension schemes’ closes
-Full-year results from Just Eat Takeaway.com, Spirax-Sarco Engineering and Balfour Beatty
-US consumer price index inflation figures
-Interest rate decision from the Bank of Canada
-US Federal budget deficit data
-US oil inventory data
-In Asia, quarterly results from Cathay Pacific Airways
-In Germany, quarterly results from Adidas and Pirelli
-In the US, quarterly results from Campbell Soups and Franco-Nevada
Thursday 11 March
-Morrisons full-year results
Morrisons shares a slightly lower than they were a year ago, and are to relegated from the FTSE 100 in the latest reshuffle.
Despite strong sales figures, additional Covid-related costs came in at £280m according to January’s trading update, £10m above previous estimates. The firm will also repay £274m in business rates relief.
Analysts believe that full-year revenues will grow by 7.9%, with a pre-tax profit of £200m, taking into account the rates repayment. Morrisons has already declared an interim dividend of 2.04p a share and a special dividend of 4p and analysts are predicting a final payment of 4.75p a share.
-Full-year results from WPP, Rolls-Royce, Derwent London, Savills and Spirent
-ECB interest rate decision
-US Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS)
-In Asia, quarterly results from JD.com
-In the US, quarterly results from Wheaton Precious Metals
Friday 12 March
-Full-year results from Hammerson
-UK industrial, manufacturing and construction output growth figures
-In Asia, quarterly results from AIA
