Next week will provide a number of noteworthy announcements of certain significance to existing geopolitical situations and economic debates.
Over the weekend, investors will be watching how Japan handles the consequences of the devastating earthquake and consequent tsunami which hit the country today. Pacific coastlines and islands have also been alerted to the tsunami danger caused by the disastrous sequence of tremors in Japan.
Elsewhere, we will be awaiting news from and reactions to the EU’s emergency meeting on Libya held today. Resolutions—or attempts at resolutions—for peripheral Europe’s ongoing struggle with sovereign debt should also emerge following the eurozone summit this weekend.
Kicking off next week, information on how Japan’s central bank will help the country recover from the earthquake will be expected on Monday. The Bank of Japan was scheduled to discuss its interest rate over a two-day meeting on Monday and Tuesday, but has cut its meeting short by a day following recent events.
On Tuesday, the US FOMC is due to make its own rate decision. While there is little reason to believe the Fed will change its base rate, investors, particularly those with exposures to US treasuries, will be looking for signs on how worried Ben Bernanke is about inflation.
Economic data due next week will provide further insights into the balance between inflation and economic growth. Industrial production figures are released by Japan and the eurozone on Monday, followed by the US Empire State Manufacturing Survey on Tuesday and US industrial production on Thursday. Meanwhile, US consumer prices will also be released on Thursday, two days after the FOMC rate-setting meeting, and German producer prices are expected on Friday.
More so than national price indices, the situation in the Middle East and its impact on oil prices will be closely watched for signs of sustained inflationary pressures.
In terms of corporate announcements, most companies reporting next week are on the mid to small end of the capitalisation scale, with the exception of Essar Energy (ESSR), reporting full-year results on Monday, followed by G4S (GFS) on Tuesday and Legal & General (LGEN) on Thursday.
Monday
UK Corporate Announcements
Bovis Homes Group (BVS) preliminaries, Essar Energy (ESSR) preliminaries
International Economic Announcements
Japan: Bank of Japan Meeting, Industrial Production and Capacity Utilisation for January, Consumer Confidence for February
Eurozone: Industrial Production for January
Tuesday
UK Corporate Announcements
Close Brothers Group (CBG) interims, G4S (GFS) preliminaries
UK Economic Announcements
DCLG House Prices for January
International Economic Announcements
Japan: Machine Tool Orders for February
Eurozone: French CPI for February, EC 4Q Employment, German and EC ZEW Survey for March
US: FOMC Rate Decision, Empire State Manufacturing Survey for March, Import Price Index for February, the National Association of Home Builders’ Housing Market Index for March
Wednesday
UK Corporate Announcements
Greggs (GRG) preliminaries, Hikma Pharmaceuticals (HIK) preliminaries
UK Ex-dividend Dates
Hargreaves Lansdown (HL.), HSBC Holdings (HSBA), Lancashire Holdings (LRE), Standard Life (SL.), Thomas Cook Group (TCG), Unilever (ULVR)
UK Economic Announcements
Claimant Count Rate and Jobless Claims Change for February, Average Weekly Earnings for January, ILO Unemployment Rate for January
International Economic Announcements
Eurozone: EC February CPI, EC 4Q Labour Costs
US: Housing Starts and Building Permits for February, February PPI, 4Q Current Account Balance
Thursday
UK Corporate Announcements
Aegis Group (AGS) preliminaries, Legal & General Group (LGEN) preliminaries, Premier Farnell (PFL) preliminaries, Savills (SVS) preliminaries, Sig (SHI) preliminaries
International Economic Announcements
Japan: Tertiary Industry Index for January
Eurozone: EC Construction Output for January
US: CPI for February, Weekly Jobless Claims, Industrial Production and Capacity Utilisation for February, Leading Indicators for February, Philadelphia Fed Survey for March
Friday
UK Corporate Announcements
Jupiter Fund Management (JUP) preliminaries
UK Economic Announcements
Public Finances (PSNCR) for February
International Economic Announcements
Eurozone: German February PPI, French 4Q Wages, EC Trade Balance of Trade for January