US figures to show scale of downturn

This week sees a raft of US economic indicators which will be watched closely for further indications of the scale of the fall…

This week sees a raft of US economic indicators which will be watched closely for further indications of the scale of the fall-out of the terror attacks on the US. Key among them will be unemployment figures on Friday, which are expected to reflect the rash of layoffs in the aftermath of the attacks. GDP figures on Wednesday and consumer confidence on Tuesday will also provide clues about the state of the US economy and the prospects for any short-term recovery.

Reports from US airlines will also be scrutinised with Delta, Continental and US Airways all reporting quarterly figures which will partly reflect the post-terror business climate.

Monday

Results: BAA (H1), Banca Fideuram (Q3), Banco Santander Central Hispano (Q3), Canon (Q3), EasyJet, Ebookers.com (Q3), GasNatural (Q3), Hit Entertainment, Investive Leisure, KPNQwest(Q3), Statoil (Q3).

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Indicators: EMU balance of payments (Aug) and current account (Aug); British consumer credit (Q3), consumer confidence (Oct) and M4 data (Sep); German manufacturing sales (Sep).

Others: Bank holiday in Ireland; emergency plenary meeting of Financial Action Task Force on Money Laundering (Washington DC Tues); Bank of Japan to release semi-annual outlook on economy and prices.

Tuesday

Results: Air Liquide (Q3), Allied Domecq, Ashanti Goldfields (Q3), AssiDoman (Q3), Bookham Technology (Q3), British American Tobacco (Q3), Chloride Group, Chubb (Q3), Friends Provident (Q3), Gartner Group (Q3), Honda Motor (Q3), Kellogg (Q3), Lionbridge Tecnologies (Q3), ManuLife Financial (Q3), Matsushita Electric (Q3), Minorplanet Systems, Nordea (Q3), Portugal Telecom (Q3), Procter & Gamble (Q3), Scania (Q3), US Airways (Q3), Verizon Communications (Q3), Whitbread (Q3).

A.G.M.: Diageo, Foreign & Colonial US, Henderson Euro Micro.

Meetings: Ireland France Chamber of Commerce annual lunch (Shelbourne Hotel, Dublin).

Indicators: US consumer confdence (Oct); French housing starts (Sep) and business confidence (Sep); Italian producer prices (Sep), business confidence (Q3) and consumer confidence (Q3).

Others: IBEC publishes Telecommunications' User Group survey.

Wednesday

Results: Alcatel (Q3),BBVA (Q3), Continental Airlines (Q3), Deutsche Telekom (Q3), Fiat (Q3), Fuji Photo Film (Q3), Tommy Hilfiger (Q3), Kennametal (Q1), Lambda Physik, Matalan (H1), Metso (Q3), Pioneer (Q3), Reader's Digest (Q3), Sara Lee (Q3), Shanks Group (H1), VistaTEC.

A.G.M.: Drew Scientific Group, Jacques Vert, KS Biomedix Holdings, Murray Income Trust.

Meetings: US Irish business summit (Washington - to Fri); Plate Networking event (Citywest Hotel, Dublin); Charles Handy semina: "Don't be Better, be Different" (St Anne's cathedral, Belfast).

Indicators: Irish Central Bank monthly statistics (Sep); US GDP (Q3), French unemployment (Sep) and producer prices (Sep); Italian consumer prices Oct) and wages (Sep).

Others: Partial public holiday in Germany.

Thursday

Results: Arc International (Q3), Carlsberg (Q3), DBN Holdings (Q3), Delta Airlines (Q3), Fortum (Q3), Genomic Solutions (Q3), ICI (Q3), KCI Konecranes (Q3), Kingsbridge Holdings, KLM (Q3), Powergen (Q3), Reflec, Royal Dutch/Shell (Q3), TDK (Q3), Wartsila (Q3).

A.G.M.: City of London IT, Sinclair (William).

Meetings: Go's chief executive Ms Barbara Cassani addresses Institute of Directors lunch (Radisson Hotel, dublin); International Labour Organisation (ILO) global Employment Forum(Geneva - to Sat)

Indicators: US National Association of Purchasing Managers' survey (Oct); British purchasing managers' index (Oct);

Others: Institute of Bankers annual dinner (Burlington Hotel, Dublin); Prof Tony Atkinson delivers Foundation for Fiscal Studies annual lecture (Royal Irish Academy, Dublin); Marketer of the Year award (Morrison Hotel, Dublin); public holiday in France, Italy and a partial holiday in Germany.

Friday

Results: Air Canada (Q3), Banca Nazionale (Q3), BSkyB (Q1), Cigna (Q3), Ispat International (Q3), Unilever (Q3).

A.G.M.: Dowding & Mills, Galliford Try, Quayle Munro Hldgs, Telecom Italia (plus e.g.m.), Walker (Thomas).

Indicators: EMU purchasing managers' index (PMI) (Oct); Irish unemployment (Oct) and Exchequer returns (Oct): US unemployment (Oct); German PMI (Oct); French PMI (Oct); Italian PMI (Oct).