Thursday preview: Global PMIs, Lloyds in focus

21st Feb 2024 09:18

(Sharecast News) - All eyes on Thursday will be on a raft of purchasing managers' surveys due out in the euro area, UK and US covering the month of January.

On home shores, S&P Global will publish the PMI survey results for services and manufacturing at 0930 GMT.

Investors will likely also be closely attuned to the speeches scheduled for at least four top Federal Reserve officials for throughout the afternoon.

Those would be on top of readings for weekly jobless claims, existing home sales in January and the Kansas Fed's regional factory survey.

Across the Channel meanwhile, at 1000 GMT Eurostat is due to release a report on euro area consumer prices in the month of January.

Ahead of Lloyds Bank's results, Jason Napier at UBS said that any clarity around the result - and potential monetary consequences - of the Financial Conduct Authority's motor finance review was central to the rating on the shares.

For his part, the analyst said that he had penciled in provisions of £1bn taken in fiscal years 2024-25 each, albeit with a "low" degree of confidence as to the quantum and timing.

Napier's estimates called for a 3% decline quarter-on-quarter in Lloyds net interest income over the three months to December to reach roughly £3.33bn, while underlying profit before tax was pegged at up by 1% at £2.05bn.

The quarterly dividend was seen at 1.8p per share.

Guidance for FY 2024-25 would also be in focus.