Weekly Reports | Mar 01 2013
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.
By Greg Peel
Once we get past manufacturing PMI readings from the eurozone, UK and US tonight the clock will strike midnight in Washington and America will be plunged into a Dark Age of sequestered government spending, or budget cuts, to speak plainly. Or maybe the cuts will be postponed yet again (they were first legislated at the end of 2011) or maybe the two US political parties will reach some sort of compromise. The latter seems unlikely at this stage.
Or maybe the budget cuts will not usher in a Dark Age at all, just a re-base to a lower rate of GDP growth with the offset of less rampant government borrowing. No one agrees as to the outcome, while Wall Street seems not to care. Don’t be surprised if the Dow hits a new all-time high tonight.
Once past the manufacturing PMI the US sees its service sector PMI next week along with the Fed’s Beige Book, trade numbers and the all-important unemployment figures.
Let the bells ring out across the land, the Australian results season is over. It’s not actually over, it’s just that nearly all large cap companies reported in February. There are a handful to come later, but otherwise only small caps report their earnings in March. Most stock analysts at the major houses will now drag their shattered minds and bodies off on a holiday break, assuring a dearth of analysis early in the month.
Things hot up economy-wise next week in Australia nevertheless, with the December GDP result due on Wednesday. Ahead of the result we’ll see quarterly numbers for profits, inventories and the current account, while the service and construction sector PMIs and trade data will season the dish across the week.
The eurozone December quarter GDP will be revised next week and the hope will be for some improvement on the shocker of a first estimate. China will provide a monthly data dump at the end of the week, but on the Saturday.
Coalition negotiations will continue in Italy, most likely in vain.
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