An earlier end to the trading week thanks to the Easter break sees little in the way of scheduled news, with those that are reporting likely to face plenty of attention.
Online retail Platform THG, better known as The Hut Group, would probably like a quiet corner to unveil its numbers, but it is the most high profile release with full-year results that should also include an update on first-quarter trading.
THG certainly has some reputational damage to repair with the City impatient for the online retail platform to unlock the supposed power of its technology.
The beleaguered group recently appointed ex-ITV head Charles Allen as its new chairman and has generally made a raft of other improvements to the group’s corporate governance structures over the last year in an attempt to placate investors.
Allen’s task is to develop the management team and refine the group’s strategy but it is probably too soon to expect any big announcement on strategy.
Later, US banks Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS), Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS), Citigroup and Wells Fargo will report first-quarter earnings, which could well set the tone for some of the London-listed banks too, most likely those with significant investment banking arms - Barclays PLC (LSE:BARC), Standard Chartered PLC (LSE:STAN) and NatWest Group PLC (LSE:NWG).
Analyst Peter Garnry at Saxo Markets said Wells Fargo and Citigroup are "key to watch due to their consumer and commercial banking exposure, while earnings from Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs are typically not moving markets or sentiment".
The US financials have had a tough time lately despite rising interest rates, said Garnry, "the flattening of the US yield curve has not helped", underperforming the S&P 500 by 8.1% since mid-February and back to the lows from late December.
Thursday 14 April
Finals: THG PLC (LSE:THG)
Trading announcements: Ashmore Group (LSE:ASHM) PLC, Dunelm Group PLC (LSE:DNLM), Hays PLC (LSE:HAS), Norcros PLC (LSE:NXR), Mediclinic International Plc (LSE:MDC)
AGMs: AIQ Ltd (LSE:AIQ), Angus Energy PLC (AIM:ANGS), XP Power Limited
Economic data: Business Inventories (US), Continuing Claims (US), Import and Export Price Indices (US), Initial Jobless Claims (US), Retail Sales (US)
FTSE 350 ex-dividend stocks: Greggs PLC (LSE:GRG), Ibstock PLC (LSE:IBST), ITV PLC (LSE:ITV), Unite Group PLC (LSE:UTG), Vesuvius Plc (LSE:VSVS)
Other ex-divs: Alpha FX Group PLC (AIM:AFX) , Belvoir Group PLC (AIM:BLV) , CPP Group (LSE:CPP) PLC, Genel Energy PLC (LSE:GENL, OTC:GEGYY), JP Morgan US Smaller Companies Investment Trust PLC, Old Mutual Limited (LSE:OMU), Photo-Me International PLC (AIM:PHTM), STV Group Plc (LSE:STVG), BMO Commercial Property Trust Ltd, Caledonia Mining Corporation PLC (AIM:CMCL, NYSE-A:CMCL), Edge Performance VCT PLC, I3 Energy PLC, Manchester & London Investment Trust plc (LSE:MNL), BlackRock Latin American Investment Trust PLC, JPMorgan Asia Growth and Income PLC, JPMorgan Japan Small Cap Growth & Income Trust, Scottish Investment Trust PLC