Inflation likely to have dipped during August – London Report
UNEMPLOYMENT figures out this week are expected to show a stable labour market, while elsewhere economists are forecasting a dip in inflation and retail sales.
Data out tomorrow is expected to show that consumer price inflation dipped back to zero per cent in August, after rising to 0.1 per cent in July zero per cent in June.
Economists have blamed markedly lower oil prices for weighing down on consumer price inflation last month, with petrol prices dropping considerably in August.
On Wednesday, unemployment data is expected to show the labour market stable overall after some recent softening following improvement during 2014 and the early months of 2015.
On the same day, figures are expected to show that underlying earnings growth improved modestly in July.
IHS Global Insights has forecast underlying annual average earnings growth, excluding bonus payments, to have climbed to three per cent in the month.
Howard Archer at IHS said: “How earnings develop over the coming months will play a crucial role in just when the Bank of England starts to raise interest rates.
“Should earnings growth pick up markedly over the coming months, it would increase the likelihood that the Bank of England will raise interest rates early on in 2016.
Thursday will see retail sales data published, which is expected to show that retail sales volumes dipped by 0.2 per cent month-on-month in August. This would still leave sales up 3.3 per cent year-on-year.
Meanwhile on the corporate calendar, Abcam, Central Asia Metals, Escher Group and Applegreen will all report today.
Kingfisher, Accesso Technology Group, Synety Group, Ocado, Wilmington Group and Gateley Holdings will all update the market tomorrow.
On Wednesday, Galliford Try, Avanti Communications, Epwin Group, JD Sports Fashion and Imagination Technologies will publish figures, while on Thursday, Merlin Entertainment, Northgate, Kier Group, Just Retirement, French Connection and Premier Farnell are set to report.
Petra Diamonds is due to publish a trading update on Friday.