Week ahead: UK and US GDP figures eyed ahead of Christmas break

(Sharecast News) - Next week will be cut short by the Christmas break, but releases of note will include UK third-quarter GDP figures on Monday, and the same data for the US on Tuesday. As far as the US data is concerned, AJ Bell analysts Danni Hewson and Russ Mould pointed out that the recent government shutdown means headline economic statistics are still arriving late, and in dribs and drabs, which is not ideal from the point of view of policymakers or financial markets.

"One badly delayed headline figure is third-quarter US GDP growth and this figure's release is likely to attract a lot of attention, even though it is by nature backward-looking and thus of finite use to forward-looking financial markets which try to assess the probabilities of, and price in, future scenarios," they said.

"The second-quarter annualised growth rate of 3.8% represented an upside surprise, and also a big rebound from the dip suffered in Q1. However, the numbers are still under the influence of 2 April's Liberation Day tariff announcement, to which companies sought to adapt by buying in goods early and then selling that inventory to minimise any initial hit from import levies and supply chain disruption.

"The Atlanta Fed GDPNow forecast for Q3 is an annualised growth rate of 3.6%, a figure which would, on the face of it, stare down any concerns over an economic slowdown in the US, either due to tariffs or any other reason."

Unsurprisingly, there will be a dearth of corporate news on both sides of the pond next week as we head into the Christmas and New Year break.

Monday December 22

INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Cordiant Digital Infrastructure Limited NPV, NEWCASTLE 10 3/4% PERM INT BEARING SHS #1000

GMS

Zegona Communications

AGMS

Gelion, Grit Real Estate Income Group Limited NPV

UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Current Account (07:00)

Gross Domestic Product (07:00)

Tuesday December 23

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Capacity Utilisation (US) (14:15)

Consumer Confidence (US) (15:00)

Current Account (US) (07:00)

Durable Goods Orders (US) (13:30)

GDP (Preliminary) (US) (13:30)

Industrial Production (US) (14:15)

New Homes Sales (US) (15:00)

GMS

Ashington Innovation

Wednesday December 24

QUARTERLY PAYMENT DATE

Vaalco Energy, Inc (DI)

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Continuing Claims (US) (13:30)

Crude Oil Inventories (US) (15:30)

Initial Jobless Claims (US) (13:30)

MBA Mortgage Applications (US) (12:00)

AGMS

Beacon Energy NPV

Thursday December 25

No results scheduled

Friday December 26

No results scheduled