Critical Week Ahead For Earnings Even As ECB Plans To Meet

US equity futures and Asian shares are flat this morning with European shares treading water ahead of the ECB's policy meeting in which it’s expected to announce a tapering to its €60bn in monthly QE. On this busiest day of Q3 earnings season, companies set to report earnings include Alphabet, Microsoft, Amazon and Intel, while we also get data on jobless claims and wholesale inventories.

LONDON: The coming week will provide clues on whether the global economy is escaping from its lacklustre growth rut, amid growing concerns of another downturn which central banks have few tools left to fight. China has become the focal point for economists as they fear a hard landing there could send countries that have only just escaped from the doldrums reeling back into recession. Beijing will publish September trade data on Tuesday and inflation on Wednesday and any significant deviation from expectations could set the tone for the week.

The week ahead is eventful. The key issue is whether the events will be sufficient to either significantly change our information set, or inject fresh volatility into the foreign exchange market. While market participants face headline risk around the events, we suspect that, at the end of next week, the investment climate is unlikely to change.  

The week ahead is eventful. The key issue is whether the events will be sufficient to either significantly change our information set, or inject fresh volatility into the foreign exchange market. While market participants face headline risk around the events, we suspect that, at the end of next week, the investment climate is unlikely to change.  

FRANKFURT: Europe's big dose of economic stimulus medicine is working _ and if somehow it isn't, there's more available. That's the message European Central Bank President Mario Draghi will deliver Thursday at his news conference after the bank's governing council meets, analysts say. With economic growth still relatively weak and inflation nonexistent, Draghi will be keen to convince investors that the ECB has not run out of ammunition to support the 19-country eurozone. Here are key themes to watch for.

Washington (AFP) - Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen faces a rare open split among her team of policymakers as they head into a meeting Tuesday and Wednesday to again weigh raising interest rates.