Thursday preview: Sports Direct, Moss Bros, UK retail sales

Retailers will be in focus on Thursday, with retail sales data for November due out at 9:30, and at least two High Street chains set to report.

High street sports retailer Sports Direct will reveal its interim results. Revenues are expected to have held up well despite the cautious consumer environment after the firm reported that sales growth had quickened from 0.5% in the first quarter to 11.5% in the first nine weeks of the second quarter.

"The group has delivered strong growth through the second quarter, further validating our resilient business model," said chief executive Dave Forsey in October.

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Suit hire specialist Moss Bros will present it third quarter interim management statement. The group's first half results came in ahead of forecast in September, while the firm said it was on course to deliver better-than-expected growth levels by the year end.

As for UK retail sales, Barclays Capital expects no change from October's index reading, at least for what it calls the "headline" figure. Core sales are tipped to fall 0.2% month-on-month.

INTERIMS

Cohort, Sports Direct International

INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Aseana Properties Ltd., Synergy Health, Vedanta Resources, Victoria

QUARTERLY PAYMENT DATE

Canaccord Financial Inc., Canadian General Investments Ltd.

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Balance of Payments (US) (13:30)

Bloomberg Consumer Confidence (US) (14:45)

Capacity Utilisation (US) (16:15)

Consumer Price Index (EU) (10:00)

Continuing Claims (US) (13:30)

Current Account (US) (13:30)

ECB Report (EU) (09:00)

Harmonised Competitiveness Indicators (EU) (09:00)

Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices (EU) (10:00)

Industrial Production (US) (16:15)

Initial Jobless Claims (US) (13:30)

Philadelphia Fed Index (US) (15:00)

Producer Price Index (US) (13:30)

Q3

Planet Payment Inc.

GMS

Kesa Electricals

FINALS

Hiwave Technologies, Nasstar, Pursuit Dynamics

IMSS

Moss Bros Group

AGMS

British Empire Securities & General Trust, Churchill Mining, Fidelity Special Values, GCM Resources, Standard Life Equity Income Trust

TRADING ANNOUNCEMENTS

Keller Group, Senior, Serco Group, Wood Group (John)

UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Internet Retail Sales (09:30)

Retail Sales (09:30)