Weekly Reports | Mar 30 2012
By Greg Peel
We are about to hit a very busy few days for global financial markets as we count down to the Easter break next weekend.
Tonight in the US sees monthly personal income and spending data along with consumer sentiment and fund managers will be madly book-squaring and window-dressing for the end of the March quarter. Tonight also sees the start of a two-day meeting of EU finance ministers to discuss further contributions to firewall funding for the eurozone. And on Sunday China will release its official manufacturing PMI for March.
The first trading day of the month always brings the round of global monthly manufacturing PMIs while Beijing just sticks to the first of the month, not quite understanding what a weekend is. So on Monday we'll see PMIs from Australia, the eurozone, UK and US ahead of a crowded week of economic releases and statements.
China releases its services PMI on Tuesday and everyone else on Wednesday, while Australia will also see building approvals, retail sales and the trade balance across the week. The US will release construction spending, factory orders and chain store sales and it's also unemployment week, which means the ADP private sector jobs number on the Wednesday and non-farm payrolls on the Friday.
Friday is actually Good, which means the US jobs numbers will be released when the markets are closed. Markets will also be closed for Good Friday in Australia, New Zealand, Europe and the UK.
It will also be a big week for central bank policy ahead of the chocolate orgy, with the Fed releasing the minutes of its last meeting on Tuesday (to QE3 or not to QE3?), the ECB issuing a policy update on Wednesday and Bank of England following suit on Thursday.
The RBA will also make a rate decision, on Tuesday. The markets are suggesting a rate cut is a 50/50 bet but I wouldn't take that, feeling Glenn Stevens is more likely to have a closer look in May after the quarterly inflation data have been posted.
Global economy slowing? Well, next week should offer plenty of evidence one way or the other. And the weekend may determine whether or not we can all get nervous again about Europe.
Note that clocks go back in Australia this weekend meaning that on Tuesday morning, the NYSE will close at 6am and continue to do so throughout the southern winter.
For a more comprehensive preview of next week's events, please refer to "The Monday Report", published each Monday morning. For all economic data release dates, ex-div dates and times and other relevant information, please refer to the FNArena Calendar.
