According to City analyst Michael Hewson, the former may show that the prospect of further interest rate cuts from the Bank of England "remains less likely than the government would like". Then, come afternoon investors will be scanning the headlines for the latest quarterly results from several of the largest US lenders, JP Morgan, Citigroup and Wells Fargo. For Hewson, what investors are most keen to know is what those banks have to say regarding the current strength of consumption.