This Week: Federal Reserve chairman Mr Alan Greenspan again hogs the spotlight this week as he delivers his semi-annual testimony on the state of the economy to Congress.
While Mr Greenspan is expected to repeat his "steady as she goes" position on interest rate rises, there is some speculation that he may adopt a slightly more hawkish tone than in recent times as evidence mounts of price pressure in the US economy.
Closer to home, the ISEQ is continuing to challenge new highs but the antics of two of its constituents, Fyffes and DCC, in their High Court battle will continue to hold the wider business community in thrall.
Monday
Results: Alitalia (Q4), Alliance Trust, Anglo American, British Energy (Q3), Heavitree Brewery, Endesa, PD Ports (Q3), Prestbury Holdings, Royal Blue, St Modwen Properties, Quarto, Statoil (Q4), ThyssenKrupp (Q1), Volkswagen.
A.G.M.: XN Checkout Holdings (e.g.m.).
Meetings: 14th annual RSA conference (to Fri).
Indicators: British producer prices (Jan); Japanese industrial production (Dec).
Others: Irish Financial Services Regulatory Authority publishes draft consumer protection code; Irish Venture Capital Association publishes 2005 outlook.
Tuesday
Results: BG Group (Q4), Coca-Cola Hellenic Bottling (Q4), Depfa Bank (Q4), Electrolux, Enodis (Q1), Kvaerner (Q4), Luxottica (Q4), Rensburg, Yell (Q3).
A.G.M.: Jessops.
Meetings: Mercer Investment Seminar 2005 (Four Seasons Hotel, Dublin); Bord Bia brand forum; NovaUCD Venturepoint Student Enterprise Seminar Series (UCD).
Indicators: Euro-zone GDP (Q4); US retail sales (Jan), capital net flows (Dec), business inventories (Dec) and National Association of Housebuilders (Feb); British consumer prices (Jan); German GDP (Q4) and ZEW index (Feb); Italian GDP (Q4) and industrial production (Dec); Japanese bankruptcies (Jan) and GDP (Q4).
Others: Invest Northern Ireland publishes draft 2005-2008 Corporate Plan; Chambers of Commerce of Ireland publishes report on EU/US Air Transport Agreement - Potential Impact on Ireland by Frederik Sørensen and Alan Dukes; OECD publishes economic surveys of Denmark and Iceland.
Wednesday
Results: Antisoma (H1), Associated British Ports, BHP Billiton, Coca-Cola (Q4), Commerzbank, Corac, CSR, Hewlett-Packard (Q1), Hochtief, RAC, Reuters, Skanska, Standard Chartered, Storebrand (Q34), Telenor (Q4), Unite.
A.G.M.: Enodis, Epcos, United Drug.
Meetings: Euro group of euro-zone finance ministers meeting (Brussels); Marketing Institute of Ireland conference (Berkeley Hotel, Dublin).
Indicators: US industrial production (Jan), capacity utilisation (Jan), housing starts (Dec) and building permits (Dec); British unemployment (Jan) and average earnings (Dec).
Others: US Federal Reserve chairman Mr Alan Greenspan gives semi-annual Humphrey-Hawkins testimony to Senate Banking Committee; US President George Bush's tax reform panel holds inaugural meeting; Visa launches nationwide Chip and PIN roadshow for Ireland; DHL Export Awards.
Thursday
Results: ABB, Air France (Q3), Credit Suisse (Q4), Diageo (H1), Finnair, Great-West LifeCo (Q4), ING, KLM (Q3), L'Oréal (Q4), MAN, Merck, Pendragon, Ranstad Holding (Q4), Reed Elsevier, Salesforce.com (Q4), Total (Q4), Zurich Financial.
A.G.M.: L'Oréal.
Meetings: Ecofin meeting (Brussels); European Central Bank governing council meets; OECD global forum on competition (Paris - to Fri).
Indicators: Euro-zone industrial production (Dec); Irish employment in construction (Dec); US leading indicators (Jan), export/import prices (Jan) and Philadelphia federal survey (Feb); British retail sales (Jan).
Others: OECD chief economist Mr Jean-Philippe Cotis presents an interim assessment of the situation in Europe, the US and Japan; US Federal Reserve chairman Mr Alan Greenspan gives semi-annual Humphrey-Hawkins testimony to House of Representatives financial services committee; Trading statement from Kingfisher.
Friday
Results: Campbell Soup (Q2), Go-Ahead (H1), Pirelli.
A.G.M.: Bankers Investment.
Indicators: Irish retail sales (Dec); US producer prices (Jan) and Michigan Sentiment Survey (Feb prelim); British public sector net cash requirement (Jan); German consumer prices (Jan) and producer prices (Jan); French GDP (Q4); Italian EU trade (Dec) and industrial orders/sales (Dec).
