The main economic focus this week will be on November’s retail sales figures, which are out on Friday.
Despite falling energy prices and the ECB interest rate cut in October, economists are expecting further sharp falls in spending due unemployment concerns and more competitive prices north of the border.
MONDAY
US Market Holiday - Martin Luther King Day
Results:
Logitech
Meetings:
Eurogroup Finance Ministers Meeting (Brussels)
Indicators:
UK Rightmove House Prices (Jan); Japanese Tertiary Industry Index (Nov)
Others:
ECB President Jean-Claude Trichet holds keynote address during debate at Colloque Coface Risque Pays (Paris); trading update from ASOS; Axa Insurance launches findings of its European Road Behaviour Survey
TUESDAY
Obama Inauguration
Results:
BancFirst; Forest Laboratories; Iberiabank; IG Trading; Johnson & Johnson; State Street
Meetings:
Harvey Nash Ireland seminar 'Innovating Through a Downturn - a seminar of CIOs’ (Alexander Hotel, D2)
Indicators:
Irish Vehicles Licensed for the First Time (Dec); UK
Others:Dragon Oil trading statement; Euromoney Central & Eastern European Forum 2008; 4th Annual European Energy Policy Conference; trading updates from Burberry, JD Wetherspoon and Kesa Electricals.
Wednesday
Results:Abbott; Apple; eBay; Sanmina-SCI.
Meetings:Launch of CerticCS, a new independent certification body for the security industry (Clontarf Castle Hotel)
Indicators:UK Claimant Count Unemployment (Dec), Average Earnings (3 mths to Nov) and PSNCR (Dec); German PPI (Dec); US
Others:Tullow Oil trading statement; Bank of England to publish minutes of Jan. 7-8 MPC meeting; ECB President Jean-Claude Trichet gives introductory statement before the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs of the European Parliament (Brussels).
Thursday
Results:CIT; Google; Lockheed Martin; M&T Bank; Microsoft; Nokia; Southwest Airlines
Meetings:Irish Bioenergy Association, Dept of Environment & SEI to host one-day national bioenergy conference - 'Bioenergy: fueling Ireland's future' (Roganstown Hotel, Swords); IIA and AIB Merchant Services half-day seminar ’How to do Business Online - Securely!’ (Fitzwilliam Hall, D2)
Indicators: EU Industrial Orders (Nov); Irish Wholesale Price Index (Dec); US Housing Starts (Dec) and Initial Jobless Claims (w/e Jan 17); French Consumer Spending (Dec); Bank of Japan rate announcement
Others:Easyjet trading update statement; ECB publishes its monthly bulletin; trading updates London Stock Exchange
Friday
Results:Harley-Davidson; Xerox
Indicators:EU flash PMI (Jan); Irish Retail Sales Index (Nov), Public Sector Employment and Earnings (Sept) and Overseas Travel (Nov); UK Prelim GDP (Q4) and Retail Sales (Dec); French Business Climate Index (Jan).
