The Bank of England is among four central banks deciding their next moves on interest rates this week, with policymakers in London expected to make no change.

Analysts will look for further indications that it will lay the groundwork for two quarter-point cuts from the current 4.75% to 4% by the end of the year, the first pencilled in for May.

This week’s statement is more significant in setting the tone, along with the forecast from the Office for Budget Responsibility, for the following week’s spending review when the Chancellor Rachel Reeves will confirm spending cuts.

Her challenge is finding ways to stimulate the economy and on Monday she will set out the next phase in the government’s plan to reduce obstacles to growth against downwardly revised forecasts from the British Chambers of Commerce and EY. An added factor is how the tariffs imposed by Donald Trump will impact on trade.

The US Federal Reserve and Bank of Japan are also forecast to make no changes to their key interest rates this week, while the Swiss National Bank is likely to cut by one quarter of a percentage point.

Prudential

Prudential’s shares plunged in January to their lowest since 2012, hindered by ongoing concerns over the Chinese and Hong Kong economies.

After the spin-offs of London-headquartered fund manager M&G in 2019, a major fundraising in Hong Kong in 2021 and the demerger of America’s Jackson Life in 2022, Prudential is now a play on demand for financial services in Asia and Africa.

In 2023, Hong Kong was Prudential’s most profitable market, followed by Singapore and Mainland China, while the firm has identified India, Vietnam and the Philippines as what it calls high growth markets.

Diary

Monday 17 March

• Full-year results from Beeks Financial Cloud, Deliveroo, Phoenix Group, Marshalls 
• Rightmove UK house price survey

Tuesday 18 March

• Full-year results from Travis Perkins, Computacenter
• First-half results from Close Brothers

Wednesday 19 March

• Full-year results from Balfour Beatty, M&G, Prudential
• EU inflation

Thursday 20 March

• Full-year results from James Fisher
• Trading statement from Bloomsbury Publishing
• UK unemployment
• Bank of England MPC meets

Friday 21 March

• First-half results from JD Wetherspoon
• GfK UK consumer confidence survey
• UK government borrowing
• CBI Scotland annual lunch, Edinburgh