Wednesday preview: Imagination Tech, SuperGroup, The Fed...

First-half figures from FTSE 250 peers Imagination Tech and SuperGroup are on the calendar for Wednesday morning.

Jefferies is expecting Imagination Tech, the multimedia, communications and embedded processor technology company, to report sales of £62.9m up from £56.3m the year before.

"We see in line progress through 1H13 with volumes growing, design wins coming to production but a bit of weakness in the average royalty rate and growing opex all flagged before," said analyst Lee Simpson on November 29th in a research report.

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As for trendy fashion retailer SuperGroup, all eyes will be on the bottom line with the firm already having reported sales figures in its second-quarter trading update.

Total group sales for the half increased by 16.2% to £158.2m, helped by a strong second quarter (+20.3%).

"Whilst mindful of a competitive Christmas trading season ahead, the group is on track to deliver a profit figure in-line with the market's expectations for the full year," the firm said.

In other news, the Federal Reserve (Fed) is expected to take its expansive monetary policy to new heights on Wednesday when it concludes its last scheduled policy-setting meeting of 2012 and in that manner potentially offset the upcoming 'fiscal cliff'.

Analysts are expecting the Fed to announce a new long-term bond purchase programme valued at $45bn per month as "Operation Twist" comes to an end.

Some 48 out of 49 analysts surveyed by Bloomberg are expecting new stimulus on top of the $40bn monthly mortgage-bond buying programme announced in September, commonly referred to as QE3 (third round of quantitative easing).

INTERIMS

Begbies Traynor Group, Darty, Imagination Technologies Group, Supergroup, Sutton Harbour Holdings

INTERIM EX-DIVIDEND DATE

3i Group, 3i Infrastructure, Babcock International Group, British Smaller Companies VCT, Caffyns, Caledonia Investments, City of London Investment Group, Cropper (James), Falkland Islands Holdings, First Property Group, Hyder Consulting, Investec, May Gurney Integrated Services, Mitie Group, Montanaro European Smaller Companies Trust, Northern 2 VCT, Northgate, red24, Sweett Group, Telford Homes, Ventus 2 VCT, Ventus 2 VCT 'C' Shares, Ventus VCT, Ventus VCT 'C' Shares, Vianet Group, Worldwide Healthcare Trust

QUARTERLY PAYMENT DATE

M Winkworth, Unilever

QUARTERLY EX-DIVIDEND DATE

F&C Commercial Property Trust Ltd., XP Power Ltd. (DI)

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Consumer Price Index(GER) (07:00)

Industrial Production (EU) (10:00)

Treasury Budget Statement (US) (19:00)

GMS

Utilitywise

FINALS

IDOX

IMSS

Carillion

SPECIAL EX-DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Polymetal International

AGMS

Altona Energy, BowLeven, EpiStem Holdings, FRM Credit Alpha Ltd Red Part Pref Shs, GETECH Group, PureCircle Ltd. (DI), Sareum Holdings, Sylvania Platinum Ltd (DI), YouGov

TRADING ANNOUNCEMENTS

Carillion, Senior, Travis Perkins

UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Claimant Count Rate (09:30)

Unemployment Rate (09:30)

FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Hargreaves Services, Sherborne Investors (Guernsey) 'A' Shares

FINAL EX-DIVIDEND DATE

Baring Emerging Europe, Bellway, K3 Business Technology Group, Marston's, Netcall, Numis Corporation, Origin Enterprises, Qatar Investment Fund, Scottish Oriental Smaller Companies Trust, Ultimate Finance Group, Waterman Group

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