What to Expect from the Week Ahead

A slow start to the week as Wall Street is closed for MLK day on Monday but plenty of news and data to keep investors occupied elsewhere

Holly Cook 14 January, 2011 | 6:12PM
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The week will start slow for investors across the pond as they take the day off to commemorate Dr. Martin Luther King on Monday.

In the UK, British consumer-facing companies will remain in the frame this coming week as fashion retailer Burberry Group (BRBY), food manufacturer and owner of Primark chain AB Foods (ABF), and pubs operator JD Wetherspoon (JDW) all issue trading updates.

Reports from retailers have been mixed so far in 2011, with several noting solid sales during the Christmas period but others, such as supermarkets giant Tesco (TSCO), pointing to performance hampered by severe weather in the UK.

While JD Wetherspoon’s figures will provide insights into the alcohol consumptions levels of Brits over the seasonal period, SABMiller’s (SAB) trading update on Tuesday should provide a broader view of demand for beer and other beverages across the globe in recent months. The brewing giant recently expanded its presence in Latin America with an Argentinean purchase, which should see the group become less reliant on the currently-weak European markets. SABMiller’s recent move could indicate that competition is heating up in the beer industry, but while an acquisition strategy may generate economies of scale, it is likely to pitch SABMiller into head-to-head competition with A-B InBev in more markets. Read more in our analyst’s research note on the group.

Looking to economic developments, the latest round of inflation data in the UK on Tuesday will likely feed into the debate about when and by how much the Bank of England will start raising rates. The MPC is currently split three ways, with Adam Posen and Andrew Sentance rocking the boat in opposing directions, but investors will have to wait a little longer to discover if this split widened at the January meeting.

Elsewhere, the ZEW survey on Tuesday will reveal insights into economic sentiment in Germany and the eurozone as a whole, while Wednesday’s unemployment data in the UK will be closely watched for improvements in the labour market and Thursday’s leading indicators from the US should provide the first indication of economic developments there at the start of 2011.

Monday
US Markets Closed for Martin Luther King's Day
UK Economic Announcements

Rightmove House Prices for January, Nationwide Consumer Confidence for December

International Economic Announcements
Japan: Consumer Confidence for December

Tuesday
UK Corporate Announcements

FTSE 100: SABMiller (SAB) trading update, Experian (EXPN) interim management statement, Burberry (BRBY) Group trading update
FTSE 250: Bankers Investment Trust (BNKR) preliminaries, Chemring Group PLC (CHG) preliminaries, IG Group Holdings (IGG) interims

UK Economic Announcements
RICS House Price Balance for December, Department for Communities and Local Government’s House Prices for November, CPI for December, RPI for December

International Economic Announcements
Japan: Industrial Production and Capacity Utilisation for November, Machine Tool Orders for December, Tertiary Industry Index for November
Germany: ZEW Survey on Economic Sentiment and Current Situation for January
EU: ZEW Survey on Economic Sentiment for January
US: International Economic Announcements for January, NAHB Housing Market Index

Wednesday
UK Corporate Announcements
FTSE 100: Land Securities (LAND) interim management statement
FTSE 250: JD Wetherspoon (JDW) trading update

Ex-dividend Date
FTSE 100: Imperial Tobacco Group (IMT)
FTSE 250: Ashtead Group (AHT), The Merchants Trust (MRCH), Pennon Group (PNN),

UK Economic Announcements
Jobless Claims for December, ILO Unemployment Rate for November, Average Weekly Earnings for November

International Economic Announcements
EU: Current Account for November, Construction Output for November
US: Housing Starts for December, Building Permits for December

Thursday
UK Corporate Announcements

FTSE 100: Wolseley (WOS) trading update and AGM, Associated British Foods (ABF) interim management statement, Invensys (ISYS) interim management statement, Man Group (EMG) interim management statement
FTSE 250: Enterprise Inns (ETI) interim management statement, easyJet (EZJ) trading update

UK Economic Announcements
CBI Business Optimism Index and Trends Total Orders for January

International Economic Announcements
Japan: Convenience Store Sales for December
Germany: PPI for December
US: Weekly Jobless Claims, Existing Home Sales for December, Leading Indicators for December, Philadelphia Fed Survey for January

Friday
UK Corporate Announcements
FTSE 250: Close Brothers Group (CBG) trading update

UK Economic Announcements
Retail Sales for December

International Economic Announcements
Japan: Supermarket Sales for December
Germany: Ifo Business Survey for January
France: PMI Manufacturing and Service Survey for January

The information contained within is for educational and informational purposes ONLY. It is not intended nor should it be considered an invitation or inducement to buy or sell a security or securities noted within nor should it be viewed as a communication intended to persuade or incite you to buy or sell security or securities noted within. Any commentary provided is the opinion of the author and should not be considered a personalised recommendation. The information contained within should not be a person's sole basis for making an investment decision. Please contact your financial professional before making an investment decision.

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Holly Cook

Holly Cook  is Manager, Morningstar EMEA Websites

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