Proactive Investors - Three of the FTSE 100's five largest companies provide first-quarter updates in the coming week - HSBC, Shell (LON:RDSa) and BP (LON:BP) - along with a spread of companies across sectors, including Lloyds, Flutter, Next, IAG and Aston Martin.
Macroeconomic matters may top those in terms of significance, are interest rate decisions from the US Federal Reserve and European Central Bank.
US earnings include AMD, Airbnb, Ford, Pfizer , Starbucks
MONDAY 1 MAY
Monday is the May Day bank holiday in the UK and a Labour Day vacation across much of the EU.
But our stakhanovite cousins in the US get no such break (not until September anyway).
There will be some potentially interesting macroeconomic data stateside, as well as earnings from MicroStrategy, the largest holder of bitcoin in the world.
Significant announcements on Monday
US earnings: Arista Networks Inc, MicroStrategy Inc
Economic announcements: PMI Manufacturing (US), Construction Spending (US), ISM Manufacturing (US), ISM Prices Paid (US)
TUESDAY 2 MAY
Two of the FTSE 100’s top-five companies report on Tuesday, HSBC and BP.
A week before it faces a high-pressure shareholder vote on spinning off its Asian businesses, HSBC Holdings PLC (LON:HSBA) has a chance to get investors onside with a strong first quarter.
The multinational lender, which says the proposals would seriously erode its earnings, returns, dividends and shareholder value, is expected to show its strength amid the recent banking sector wobbles by announcing more buybacks and cash sweeteners for investors.
Over at BP PLC, investor unrest and share buybacks are also in focus, though it has already defeated challenges on its watered-down climate change measures and its choice of chairman.
With crude oil prices well off last year’s peaks and other uses for its cash coming up, big shareholder returns are not a given.
Significant announcements on Tuesday
Trading updates: BP PLC, HSBC Holdings PLC
Finals: Facilities by ADF PLC
US earnings: Pfizer Inc (NYSE:PFE), Advanced Micro Devices (NASDAQ:AMD) Inc, Airbnb Inc, Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F), Starbucks Corp (NASDAQ:SBUX)
AGMs: AVI Japan Opportunity Trust PLC, Diversified Energy Company PLC, HSBC Holdings PLC, IOG PLC (LON:IOG), Ocado Group PLC (LON:OCDO), Plus500 (LON:PLUSP)
Economic announcements: PMI Manufacturing (UK), Factory Orders (US), Auto Sales (US)
WEDNESDAY 3 MAY
Ahead of the Fed policy decision later in the day, Lloyds Banking Group PLC (LON:LLOY) wraps up the FTSE 100 bank reporting season this coming Wednesday, with its shares having dropped 2.5% in the week running up to the release as investors digest numbers from its peers.
Like many of its peers, the bank’s management warned they expect interest margins to drop in the first quarter, but analysts reckon this was conservative and some are also seeing scope for buybacks.
Flutter Entertainment PLC (LON:FLTRF) prepared for its results by gaining shareholder approval to add a New York listing to its one in London, while the UK gambling review emerged and was pretty benign in comparison with most of the measures the industry big boys have already put in place.
Analyst reaction was positive and, based on recent updates from rivals, the first quarter is predicted to have been fairly strong.
Aston Martin’s resurgence has been one of the unlikeliest stories in the Formula One season so far and likewise its shares are up over 50% in the year to date.
The first quarter numbers on Wednesday should confirm the financial improvement, according to the City, though there is some doubt about the strength of the recent rally.
Not that dissimilarly, Barratt Developments PLC (LON:BDEV) has been a strong performer so far this year, outdoing many of its peers as the sector bounces back from a year of heavy subsidence.
Following the green shoots from one rival in the past week, investors will be keen to see if a second swallow makes for a surer sign of summer ahead, with a focus on commentary around house selling prices, building costs and whether the land market is starting to see lower prices.
Significant announcements on Wednesday
Trading updates: Barratt Developments PLC, Coca Cola HBC PLC, Flutter Entertainment PLC (LSE:FLTR), Haleon PLC (LSE:HLN, NYSE:HLN), Lloyds Banking Group PLC, OSB Group PLC, TI Fluid Systems PLC
Interims: Smiths News PLC, Ten Lifestyle Group (AIM:TENG) PLC
Finals: Ashtead (LON:AHT) Technology Holdings PLC (AIM:AT.), Cambridge Cognition Holdings PLC (LON:COGC) (AIM:COG), Inspiration Healthcare Group PLC (AIM:LON:IHC)
US earnings: Barrick Gold Corporation, The Estee Lauder Companies Inc (NYSE:EL), The Kraft Heinz (NASDAQ:KHC) Company, Etsy (NASDAQ:ETSY) Inc, Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM), Uber Technologies Inc (NYSE:UBER)
AGMs: Apax Global Alpha Ltd, Barclays PLC (LSE:LON:BARC), Elementis plc (LSE:LON:ELM), GSK PLC (LSE:GSK, NYSE:GSK), Logistics Development Group PLC (AIM:LDG), Okyo Pharma Ltd, Pershing Square (NYSE:SQ) Holdings Ltd, Reach PLC, Reckitt Benckiser Group PLC, Standard Chartered PLC (LON:STAN), Unilever PLC (LON:ULVR)
Economic announcements: MBA Mortgage Applications (US), PMI Composite (US), PMI Services (US), ISM Prices Paid (US), ISM Services (US), Crude Oil Inventories (US)
THURSDAY 4 MAY
Two days after its big local rival, Shell PLC (LSE:SHEL, NYSE:SHEL) reports but with more confidence among analysts that it has scope to up its shareholder returns.
It is awash with cash and could easily afford a 25% hike in the dividend.
In the retail sector, Next PLC is unlikely to be waving the wonga about, especially with sales expected to be down in the past quarter and the one after.
With the blue-chip lenders having said their piece, challenger bank Virgin Money UK PLC (LON:VMUK) gets a chance to prove the doubters wrong, with its shares the worst performing of the UK-focused FTSE 350 banks in the year to date.
Yet the first-quarter trading statement in February showed "solid trends", analysts said, with its shares seen as among those trading at a discount to the wider sector. analysts.
Significant announcements on Thursday
Trading updates: Derwent London PLC, Hargreaves Lansdown (LON:HRGV) PLC (LSE:HL.), Hiscox (LON:HSX), IMI (LON:IMI), Mondi PLC (LON:MNDI), Morgan Sindall Group PLC, Next PLC (LSE:NXT), Endeavour Mining PLC (LON:EDV), Rathbones Group PLC, Shell PLC, Travis Perkins (LON:TPK)
Interims: Virgin Money UK PLC
Finals: Trainline PLC (LON:TRNT)
US earnings: Ball Corporation (NYSE:BALL) (NYSE:BLL), Moderna (NASDAQ:MRNA) Inc, Novo Nordisk (CSE:NOVOb), Shopify Inc, Apple Inc (NASDAQ:AAPL), Block Inc, Lemonade Inc
Ex-dividend to reduce FTSE 100 by: 8.68
AGMs: AIB Group PLC, Allianz (ETR:ALVG) Technology Trust PLC, Aviva PLC (LON:AV.), BiVictriX Therapeutics PLC, Domino's Pizza Group PLC, Glanbia PLC, Grafton Group PLC (ISE:GFTU), Hammerson PLC (LSE:LON:HMSO), Howden, Joinery Group PLC, IMI PLC (LSE:IMI), Indivior PLC (LON:INDV), ITV PLC (LON:ITV), LungLife AI Inc, Mincon Group PLC, Mondi PLC, Moneysupermarket.com (LON:MONY), Morgan Sindall Group PLC, Personal Group Holdings PLC, Phoenix Group Holdings PLC, Rathbones Group PLC, Rio Tinto PLC (LON:RIO), Sig PLC, Ten Entertainment Group PLC, Travis Perkins PLC, Witan Investment Trust plc (LON:WTAN)
Economic announcements: Consumer Credit (UK), M4 Money Supply (UK), Mortgage Approvals (UK), PMI Composite (UK), PMI Construction (UK), PMI Services (UK), Balance of Trade (US), Continuing Claims (US), Initial Jobless Claims (US)
FRIDAY 5 MAY
Ahead of another long weekend in the UK there are a few holiday-related companies finishing off the week.
British Airways owner IAG is facing high expectations ahead of its first-quarter numbers, even though this is normally its quietest period.
Commentary about bookings for the summer will be key.
Significant announcements on Friday
Trading updates: International Consolidated Airlines Group (LON:ICAG), InterContinental Hotels Group PLC, RHI Magnesita NV
US earnings: AMC Entertainment Holdings Inc
AGMs: Holders Technology PLC, HSBC Holdings PLC, InterContinental Hotels Group PLC, Man Group PLC, Rightmove PLC, UK Oil & Gas PLC
Economic announcements: PMI Construction (UK), Non-Farm Payrolls (US), Unemployment Rate (US), Consumer Credit (US)