Irish eyes will be firmly fixed on the Minister for Finance, Brian Cowen, on Wednesday as he announces the details of next year's budget. Thursday sees various competing post-budget breakfast briefings/postmortems, but it will otherwise be a quiet week at home.
On the results front, Greencore releases its annual figures tomorrow. IAWS convenes its annual general meeting today, while Fyffes will hold an extraordinary general meeting tomorrow to discuss its demerger and plans to list the spin-offs on the IEX and AIM markets.
The euro-zone services sector purchasing managers' index is expected to rebound slightly from 56.5 in October to 56.6 in November's survey, due tomorrow.
New forecasts for inflation and growth in 2007 and 2008 will be presented by the European Central Bank on Thursday - as the governing council announces its interest rate decision - providing greater clarity on the outlook for euro-zone rates next year. A rise in euro-zone interest rates to 3.5 per cent is widely seen as a done deal.
The ECB remains concerned about the rapid growth in money supply and the possibility of consumers' inflation expectations ratcheting upwards.
In the US, the November Institute of Supply Management non-manufacturing survey, due tomorrow, is expected to fall from 57.1 in October to 56. The employment measure could signal a contraction in the past month as the housing market slowdown has led to job losses in construction and real estate. Friday brings employment data for November with non-farm payrolls expected to rise.
Gordon Brown is the UK's central event this week since no change is expected for UK interest rates on Thursday.
Monday
Results:Aberdeen Asset Management, Acal (H1), E2V Technologies (H1), Falkland Islands Holdings (H1), Hardide, Invesco (H1), Knowledge Technology, Sovereign Reversions (H1), VP (H1).
AGM:IAWS, Corus, Jubilee Platinum, Knowledge Technology (egm), St Ives, Unite (egm).
Indicators:Irish IIB/ESRI consumer sentiment (Nov) and construction employment (Oct); euro-zone producer prices (Oct).
Others:Tourism Ireland issues year-end briefing.
Tuesday
Results:Andor Technology, Carclo (H1), Christian Salvesen (H1), Creston (H1), Cybit (H1), Glotel (H1), Greencore, Greene King (H1), Halma (H1), ITE, Novell, Ten Alps (H1), United Utilities (H1), Universal Salvage (H1), Victrex.
AGM:Fyffes (egm), AI Claims Solutions, Dicom, Tenon, Waterman.
Meetings:Association of Chartered Certified Accountants sustainability reporting awards (Conrad Hotel, Dublin).
Indicators:Irish services purchasing managers' index (Nov); euro-zone services PMI (Nov) and retail sales (Oct); US lay-offs (Nov), ISM non-manufacturing survey (Nov), factory orders (Oct) and labour costs (Q3); UK services PMI (Nov); German services PMI (Nov); French services PMI (Nov).
Others:HSBC publishes year-end trading figures; Tesco issues third-quarter trading update.
Wednesday
Results:Anglo Irish Bank, Alternative Networks, API, ATH Resources, Center Parcs (H1), DS Smith (H1), Premier Asset Management, Stagecoach (H1), Vega (H1), Widney.
AGM:Baillie Gifford Japan, BowLeven, Invesco Perpetual (egm), White Young Green.
Indicators:UK industrial production (Oct) and manufacturing production (Oct); German industrial orders (Oct); Japanese leading and coincident indicators (Oct).
Others:Minister for Finance Brian Cowen presents Budget 2007; British chancellor Gordon Brown presents pre-budget report to the UK parliament; ECB and European commission publish reports on progress of non-euro-zone countries towards monetary union; Royal Bank of Scotland issues year-end trading update.
Thursday
Results:Compass Finance, Computerland (H1), Dawson Holdings, First Choice Holidays, Food & Drink, OMG, Premier Farnell (Q3), Redhall, Severn Trent (H1), Wagon (H1), Xansa (H1), Zenith Hygiene.
AGM:European Diamonds, Fairplace Consulting, Lok'n Store, Oxus Gold, Schroder Income Growth, Ultimate Leisure.
Meetings:Ernst & Young holds Budget breakfast briefing (National Gallery, Dublin); Farrell Grant Sparks hosts Budget breakfast (Herbert Suite, Berkeley Court Hotel, Dublin); Horwath Bastow Charleton holds Budget breakfast (Burlington Hotel, Dublin).
Indicators:US consumer credit (Oct) and weekly jobless claims; German wholesale prices (Nov); French budget year-to-date (Oct); Japanese money supply (Nov) and bank lending (Nov).
Others:European Central Bank governing council meets, issues interest rate decision; Bank of England announces interest rate decision.
Friday
Results:Berkeley.
AGM:Associated British Foods, Mouchel Parkman, YouGov.
Indicators:US non-farm payrolls (Nov), unemployment (Nov) and average earnings (Nov); German trade balance (Oct) and total industrial production (Oct); French OECD leading indicators (Oct).
