After a typical post-result season period of corporate news vacuum, next week provides the first indication newsflow in the Australian market will begin to ramp up again. Calendar year reporting companies will begin a round of AGMs, resource sector companies will provide quarterly production reports, and soon a flood of quarterly reports will be forthcoming from other businesses.
It’s the quarterly reporting season we don’t have.
The US does have quarterly reporting seasons, and the next one will kick off on Friday when the first of the big banks release their numbers.
Wall Street will also be holding its breath for an announcement on US-China trade, with the Chinese delegation still in Washington as we speak.
US economic data next week is fairly thin, although inflation numbers will be closely watched in terms of Fed speculation. The minutes of the last Fed meeting are out on Wednesday.
The ECB holds a policy meeting on Wednesday. Mario Draghi’s tenure is soon to expire, so speculation is mounting as to who his successor might be.
Locally, data next week include ANZ job ads and Westpac consumer confidence, along with housing finance. The RBA publishes a Financial Stability Review on Friday.
The run of ex-dividends slows to a trickle next week. Sims Metal Management ((SGM)) will hold a strategy day and Bank of Queensland ((BOQ)) will report earnings, possibly announcing the dividend cut many are anticipating.
Rio Tinto ((RIO)) will hold its AGM in London, Cimic ((CIM)) will hold its AGM onshore while Whitehaven Coal ((WHC)) and OZ Minerals ((OZL)) kick off the run of production reports.
Note that as of Tuesday the NYSE will close at 6am Sydney time.
