THE WEEK AHEAD
COMPANY NEWS
● Today, Electrocomponents announces its results for the half year ended 30 September. The Oxford-based company is the world’s largest distributor of electronics and maintenance products and will be hoping that there are no blown fuses over the results.
● Lonmin, the platinum producer with the bulk of its operations in South Africa will announce its interim results today.
● ICAP and Burberry Group both announce tomorrow. Burberry will be hoping that its sales have been un-checked by the global slowdown.
● SABMiller announces its interim results on Thursday. Earlier this month, the international brewing company uncapped the first ever cassava-based beer, brewed in Mozambique, and released it to the commercial market.
● National Grid will also announce interim results Thursday. The electric transmission network will be hoping that it won’t get any nasty shocks.
● Rexam releases an interim managerial statement on Thursday. With the costs of raw materials falling, we should see a positive update, but nothing is certain in the current market climate.
ECONOMICS
● Tomorrow, the UK Consumer Price Index for October will be released. The CPI index hit 5.2 per cent in September, equalling the highest reading for the index ever, will we see a fall this time round?
● The Bank of Japan will release its interest rates decision Wednesday. The BoJ is not expected to stray from last month’s rate of 0.1 per cent, as the rate has been consistent over the last year.
● On Friday, Canada will also release its Consumer Price Index figures for October, previously at 3.2 per cent.
POLITICAL NEWS
● Hillary Clinton, United States secretary of state, is set to visit Thailand and the Philippines next week, in addition to attending the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in Bali. Clinton’s 15 November trip to Manila will commemorate the 60th anniversary of the US-Philippines Mutual Defence Treaty.
● The issue of the EU’s carbon emissions will be back on the table next week. Earlier in the year, it was proposed that the current target of cutting carbon emissions by 20 per cent be raised to 25 per cent by 2020, but the move was blocked by Poland, current holder of the EU presidency.