Davos Forum moves to the Big Apple

The great and the good of politics, business and economics come together for the annual World Economic Forum in New York this year - on Thursday.

Traditionally held in Davos, Switzerland, the event was moved as a gesture of solidarity with the city after the attacks of September 11th but also allows the Swiss a pause for breath from the annual violence from anti-globalisation protesters which has become a feature of recent events. The gathering will overshadow the first meeting of the year of the Federal Reserve's open markets committee, which, if the signals from chairman Mr Alan Greenspan are anything to go by, will lead to no change in interest rates.

Closer to home, unemployment figures due on Friday are unlikely to bring good news to the Government as they will reflect the stream of job losses announced in the run-up to Christmas.

Monday

Results: American Express (Q4), ARM Holdings, Expedia (Q2), Fairbriar, Nextel Partners (Q4), Safeco (Q4), Scania (Q4), Sportingbet (Q3), Texas Instruments (Q4), Tupperware (Q4), Xerox (Q4).

A.G.M.: Dewhurst, Scot Inv Trust, Standard Life European.

Indicators: EMU M3 data (Dec); US new home sales (Dec); German Ifo business climate index (Jan); French producer prices (Dec).

Others: IBEC publishes monthly review of economic trends; Tánaiste Ms Harney inaugurates the Institute of Social Auditing in Ireland.

Tuesday

Results: Altana, Aukett Group, Barr Labs (Q4), C.R.Bard (Q4), Black & Decker (Q4), Bowater (Q4), Chevron Texaco (Q4), Cosalt, Dataflex Holdings (H1), Deutsche Telekom, Games Workshop Group (H1), Gillette (Q4), Guidant (Q4), Hilton Hotels (Q4), Honeywell (Q4), Kellogg, (Q4), Kingston Communications (Q3), Kraft Foods (Q4), Lionbridge Technologies (Q4), McGraw-Hill (Q4), New York Times (Q4), Owens Illinois (Q4), Qwest Comms (Q4), Real Networks (Q4), Rhodia, Smurfit Stone Container (Q4), The Coca-Cola Company (Q4), United Parcel Services (Q4).

A.G.M.: SCS Upholstery, Shaftesbury.

Meetings: US Federal Reserve's open markets committee meets.

Indicators: Irish external trade (Nov); US durable goods (Dec) and consumer confidence (Jan); French new housing starts (Dec); Italian non-EU trade (Dec) and EU trade (Nov).

Others: Ulster Bank Financial Markets releases economic outlook.

Wednesday

Results: AOL Time Warner (Q4), AT&T (Q4), H&M (Q4), IFX Power, Northern Rock, Northrop Grumann (Q4), Nucor (Q4), Parthus Technologies, Partridge Fine Arts, Philip Morris (Q4), PPL (Q4), Procter & Gamble (Q2), Reebok International (Q4), QA, Stora Enso (Q4), TotalFinaElf.

A.G.M.: Aberdeen Hi Income Tst, WH Smith.

Meetings: US Federal Reserve's open market committee concludes; Andersen Technology Business Roadmap Series 2002 seminar on trends in US capital markets and implications for the Irish technology sector (Conrad Hotel, Dublin); Strategic Planning Society of Ireland seminar on: Ireland's Future in a Changing Europe - Strategic Implications for Business.

Indicators: Irish vehicle licensing (Oct); US final sales (Q4), GDP (Q4) and implicit deflator (Q4); British consumer credit (Dec) and M4 (Dec); French composite business climate indicator and general business outlook (Dec); Italian producer prices (Dec).

Others: German Finance Minister Hans Eichel presents annual economic report at parliamentary sitting.

Thursday

Results: Alcatel, Arthur Shaw & Co, AstraZeneca, Canon (Q4), Carlisle Holdings (Q4), Celestica (Q4), Crest Nicholson, Delta Airlines (Q4), Deutsche Bank, Dole Food (Q4), Dow Chemical (Q4), Epcos (Q1), Fairplace Consulting (H1), Fitness First, Hannover Rueck (Q1), KLM (Q3), Kmart (Q4), KPMG Consulting (Q4), Mattel (Q4), NEC (Q4), Pechiney, Rio Tinto, Riverdeep (Q2), Sapient (Q4), Scottish Power (Q3), Starwood Hotels (Q4), Verizon Comms (Q4), Wolseley (H1).

A.G.M.: Allied Domecq, Firestone Diamonds.

Meetings: World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2002 (New York - to Mon); Theme: Leadership in Fragile Times: A Vision for a Shared Future. US Federal Reserve's open markets committee meets; Bord Fáilte's International Sports Tourism Initiative addresses public private partnerships (Four Seasons Hotel, Dublin).

Indicators: EMU retail sales (Nov); Irish industrial turnover (Nov); British consumer confidence (Jan); US personal consumption/income Dec), employment cost index (Q4) and prices (Dec); French unemployment (Dec); German manufacturing sales (Dec) and consumer prices (Jan); Italian wages (Dec).

Friday

Results: UAL (Q4), Valeo.

A.G.M.: Slimma.

Meetings: World Trade Organisation holds meeting of its Dispute Settlement Body (Geneva).

Indicators: EMU consumer prices (Jan), purchasing managers' index (PMI) (Jan) and balance of payments (Nov); Irish unemployment (Jan); US unemployment (Jan), average earnings and hours (Jan), purchasing managers (Jan), inflation (Jan), construction spending (Dec), car and truck sales (Jan) and Michigan Sentiment Survey (Jan, final); German PMI (Jan); French PMI (Jan) and consumer confidence (Jan); Italian consumer prices (Jan) and PMI (Jan); Japanese vehicle sales (Jan).

Others: FÁS Opportunities 2002 career, education and skills exhibition (RDS, Dublin).