THE WEEK AHEAD
COMPANY NEWS
● Barclays will release its full year results tomorrow.
● Miner BHP Billiton will release its half year results on Wednesday.
● French bank Societe Generale will release its fourth quarter results on Wednesday.
● On Thursday, bank BNP Paribas will release its fourth quarter results.
● BAE Systems will release its full year results on Thursday.
● Miner Anglo-American will release full year results on Friday.
ECONOMICS NEWS
● The Bank of Japan announces its headline interest rate decision tomorrow.
It is expected to hold rates steady at their current level of 0–0.10 per cent.
● The preliminary estimate for French fourth quarter GDP growth will be released tomorrow at 6:30 am.
● As will the equivalent German fourth quarter figure at 7:00 am.
● British inflation statistics (RPI and CPI) are also released tomorrow at 9:30am.
● The US Empire State Manufacturing survey data will also be released tomorrow at 1:30pm, as will the US retail sales figures.
● On Wednesday, British unemployment statistics will be released (ILO survey rate and claimant count rate).
● Wednesday will also see the release of the Bank of England quarterly inflation report.
● The Federal Open Market Committee minutes from the meeting of 25-26 January will also be released on Wednesday at 7:00pm.
● On Thursday, the European Monetary Union (EMU) consumer confidence index figure will be released.
● Friday will see the release of UK retail sales statistics.
POLITICAL NEWS
● Barack Obama will present his budget request for the 2012 fiscal year to Congress today.
The US is running a 10 per cent budget deficit, and House Republicans are likely to respond aggressively.
● In Iran, the opposition leaders Mehdi Karroubi and Mir-Hossein Mousavi will lead a protest today in solidarity with Egyptian protesters.
● Tomorrow, the controversial Parliamentary Voting Systems and Constituencies bill will be debated again in the House of Lords. The purpose of the bill is to introduce a referendum to change the voting system and to reduce the number of MPs.