Business This Week

IN THE wake of a renewed bout of jitters for financial stocks last week following Bradford & Bingley's rights issue debacle, one would expect that the meeting of the G8 finance ministers in Japan at the end of the week and the gathering of British bankers for their annual conference tomorrow would hold centre stage.

However, for many people, Apple chief executive Steve Jobs unveiling the new iPhone today at the company's developer conference will be the most important event.

At home, the continuing fallout from the DCC insider trading saga will see the High Court hear the application by director of corporate enforcement Paul Appleby for the appointment of court inspectors to the company.

TODAY

Results: Hyder Consulting, Volex. Meetings: Apple worldwide developer conference, with keynote speech from Steve Jobs.

Indicators: British producer prices (May); German external trade (April).

Others: ODCE applies to High Court for appointment of inspectors to DCC; ECB to publish Financial Stability Review; World Trade Organisation to publish a trade policy review.

TOMORROW

Results: Norkom.

Meetings: British Bankers Association annual banking conference; Trafficmaster agm; Ted Baker agm.

Indicators: Irish Live Register (May) and industrial production (April); US external trade (April); British industrial production (April) and retail sales (May); German wholesale prices (May); French industrial output (April); Italian GDP (Q1) and industrial output (April).

Others: Trading update from Tesco; International Energy Agency publishes its monthly oil market report; Traffic figures from Lufthansa and Finnair.

WEDNESDAY

Results: Worldspreads.

Meetings: Independent News & Media agm.

Indicators: US federal budget (May); British external trade (April) and unemployment (May); French current account (April); Spanish consumer prices (May); Japanese GDP (Q1).

Others: Trading statement from Royal Bank of Scotland.

THURSDAY

Results: Carphone Warehouse, Charles Stanley.

Meetings: Bank of Japan monetary policy meeting (to Fri).

Indicators: Euro zone industrial output (April); Irish consumer prices (May) and retail sales (April); US retail sales (May) and business inventories (April).

Others: European Central Bank monthly bulletin; Traffic figures from Iberia airline.

FRIDAY

Meetings: G8 finance ministers meeting (Osaka - to Sat).

Indicators: Euro zone quarterly labour costs (Q1); Irish construction employment (Aprilil); US consumer prices (May) and Michigan sentiment survey (Jun prelim); German consumer prices (May); Italian consumer prices (May); Japanese consumer confidence (April).

Others: Opec publishes monthly oil market report.