(Sharecast News) - Investors focus on Thursday will be on a raft of purchasing managers' survey results for manufacturing and services sector activity in the euro area, UK and US.

In the case of the UK, factory activity is expected to have slowed a tad less quickly than during the preceding month, alongside a continued brisk expansion in services.

S&P Global will release its UK PMIs at 0830 BST.

Also due out, at 1400 BST, is the European Commission's consumer confidence index for the month of May.

Stateside meanwhile attention will be on a spate of other data as well, including readings for weekly jobless claims, new home sales and factory activity in the Kansas Fed's jurisdiction.

Thursday 23 May

INTERIMS

AJ Bell

INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Coca-Cola Europacific Partners (DI)

INTERIM EX-DIVIDEND DATE

Avingtrans, Bellway, BlackRock Greater Europe Inv Trust, Brunner Investment 5% Prf, Cardiff Property, Diploma, Grainger, Nexus Infrastructure

QUARTERLY EX-DIVIDEND DATE

CRH (CDI), HICL Infrastructure , NextEnergy Solar Fund Limited Red, Tritax Eurobox (EUR), Tritax Eurobox (GBP)

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Continuing Claims (US) (13:30)

Initial Jobless Claims (US) (13:30)

New Homes Sales (US) (15:00)

GMS

Indivior

FINALS

Bloomsbury Publishing, Braemar , Helical, Investec, Johnson Matthey, Johnson Matthey, National Grid, Picton Property Income Ltd, QinetiQ Group, Wizz Air Holdings

SPECIAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Savills

SPECIAL EX-DIVIDEND DATE

Town Centre Securities

AGMS

Baillie Gifford Shin Nippon, Bakkavor Group , Bank of Ireland Group (CDI), Capital & Regional, Capricorn Energy, Crossword Cybersecurity, Deliveroo Class , Dunedin Income Growth Inv Trust, Energean , Essentra, Ferrexpo, Headlam Group, Hill and Smith, Inspirit Energy Holdings, LBG Media , Legal & General Group, Life Science REIT, LSL Property Services, Manx Financial Group, N4 Pharma , Norman Broadbent , Petershill Partners , Pharos Energy , Prudential, Quilter, Real Estate Investors, Regional REIT Limited, Resolute Mining Limited NPV (DI), Rolls-Royce Holdings, Rolls-Royce Holdings, Sabre Insurance Group, Shaftesbury Capital, Spectris, Strip Tinning Holdings, Yu Group

TRADING ANNOUNCEMENTS

Essentra

FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Aviva, Convatec Group , ITV, Me Group International, Savills, Secure Trust Bank

FINAL EX-DIVIDEND DATE

Andrews Sykes Group, Aptitude Software Group , BlackRock Smaller Companies Trust, Burford Capital NPV (DI), DCC (CDI), Empresaria Group, Fintel, HSS Hire Group , Keywords Studios, Lords Group Trading, Mincon Group (CDI), Niox Group, Spire Healthcare Group, TI Fluid Systems, Weiss Korea Opportunity Fund Ltd, Whitbread

Q1

Argo Blockchain