Monday
Results: Netflix.
Indicators: Irish wholesale prices (Dec).
Tuesday
Results: EasyJet, Johnson & Johnson, Mattel, Procter & Gamble.
Indicators: Euro zone economic sentiment index (Jan), consumer confidence flash (Jan); UK public sector net borrowing (Dec), business optimism index (Q1), industrial trends orders (Jan); German economic sentiment index (Jan), current conditions (Jan); and US manufacturing index (Jan).
Meetings: World Economic Forum Annual Conference in Davos, Switzerland; Winning Strategies for Marketer of the Year 2017 (National Gallery of Ireland, Dublin); Dublin Chamber Technology Forum with Abodoo (Mason Hayes & Curran, Grand Canal Dock, Dublin).
Wednesday
Results: Ford, General Electric, PayPal, Whirlpool.
Indicators: Euro zone composite, manufacturing and services PMI flash (Jan); UK mortgage approvals (Dec), unemployment (Nov), average earnings (Nov); German composite, manufacturing and services PMI flash (Jan); US house price index (Nov), composite, manufacturing and services PMI flash (Jan).
Meetings: Blueface BCT (Business Communications Technology) report on technology trends launch (Marker Hotel, Grand Canal Square, Dublin 2); Cork Chamber event "Marketing - The Ultimate Driving Machine" (Cork International Hotel, Airport Business Park, Lehenagh More).
Thursday
Results: Intel, CPL Resources, American Airlines Group, Caterpillar, JetBlue Airways, Starbucks.
Indicators: Irish overseas travel (Oct-Dec); German consumer confidence (Feb), business climate (Jan), current conditions (Jan), expectations (Jan); US new home sales (Dec).
Meetings: ECB interest rate decision; I WISH events promoting female participation in STEM industry (Cork City Hall and RDS, Dublin to January 30th); Ibec Session "GDPR" (general data protection regulation) From Theory to Practice" free event (Maryborough Hotel, Douglas, Co Cork).
Some of Ireland’s top executives will line out this week to see if they can help influence female students to enter STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) industries.
I Wish, an initiative sponsored by Science Foundation Ireland, is tasked with encouraging more young women to choose transition-year subjects that could help give them options for STEM-related careers.
Annual events in Cork and Dublin this week will hear from female role models at a variety of leading companies including Dell EMC and VMware, Twitter, Google, Facebook, Arup, Stryker, Johnson & Johnson, Symantec, Accenture, Johnson Controls, Vodafone, PepsiCo.
Concerned at the shortage of females in the sector, and the need for a strong pipeline of talent to meet future requirements of the multinational and indigenous tech and life sciences sectors, Cork business women Gillian Keating (RDJ Solicitors), Caroline O'Driscoll (KPMG) and Ruth Buckley (Cork City Council), founded I Wish in 2014.
The initiative quickly received the support of the sector and has grown into a nationwide event.
“There will also be young female entrepreneurs from a variety of STEM backgrounds talking about their careers, as well as young women with careers in traditionally male-dominated areas such as engineering and maths,” explained Keating.
“All of our speakers are influencers in their chosen fields. I WISH gives young women the opportunity to meet and listen to these influential women often prompting them to consider – sometimes for the first time – the variety of roles that a science and technology related career can offer.”
*****
Intel earnings on Monday (Q4, 2017) will come too early to reflect the impact of the ongoing chip controversy but investors will be keeping a keen eye on how future profits might be affected at the industry’s most high-profile manufacturer.
The recent surfacing of security glitches has tarnished the image of a number of tech firm but the stain may be more prominent at Intel, a company that prides itself on brand recognition and premium service.
Much of what happens next will depend on how the issue is handled.
The common processor flaw has exposed many computers and devices, including smartphones, to data loss.
Responses from Intel and Microsoft had created confusion for businesses over the Meltdown and Spectre security flaws, particularly as regards the extent and severity of the problem.
Intel recently said that any slowdown in PC performance from software patches needed to protect them “should not be significant”. A potential slowdown in the performance of the company itself, and how significant this might prove to be financially, will be on the minds of investors.
Friday
Results: Givaudan.
Indicators: Euro zone loan growth (Dec); UK GDP (Q4); US GDP (Q4).