Next Week At A Glance

This story features WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION, and other companies. For more info SHARE ANALYSIS: WBC

By Greg Peel

China will release its November trade balance today and then tomorrow will release its monthly round of investment, production, sales and inflation data – brought forward from the Monday. The shift to Saturday most likely implies a fresh monetary policy announcement, and that may well be another interest rate rise.

Tonight sees the trade balance in the US and the first December UMich confidence survey which will provide some indication as to Christmas spending.

It's a busy week next week in the US beginning on Tuesday with a Fed monetary policy update. There's not likely to be much new news within however, one assumes. Tuesday also brings business inventories, retail sales and the producer price index, while Wednesday sees industrial production, capital flows, housing market sentiment, the New York Fed manufacturing index and the consumer price index.

Thursday it's housing starts and the Philly manufacturing index and Friday leading economic indicators. All these data will have Wall Street on edge.

Australia's economic week begins on Monday with lending finance. Tuesday brings ABARE's fourth quarter commodities report and the third quarter dwelling starts report, along with NAB's monthly business sentiment survey.

Wednesday it's vehicle sales and Westpac's consumer confidence survey (another Christmas indicator) and Thursday sees the RBA's quarterly bulletin.

AGMs are dwindling but it's bank week next week, with all of Westpac ((WBC)), ANZ ((ANZ)) and National ((NAB)) holding meetings.

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.

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