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The economic data and corporate earnings calendars are set to quiet down on Friday with UK retail sales the only major scheduled announcement with the potential to move markets.
UK economic data will likely steal the show next week, with a barrage of leading indicators scheduled for release, including the all-important consumer price index (CPI) for December as markets continue to speculate over when the Bank of England will begin to loosen monetary policy.
As scheduled corporate results begin to die down ahead of the festive break, much of Thursday's focus will be on economic data from the US, as markets continue to watch indicators closely for any hints at what the future holds for monetary policy.