The technology sector will be looking for some good news this week following the series of recent profit warnings, in particular those last week from Gateway and Hewlett-Packard.
With so many jobs in Ireland now dependent on the technology sector, more attention than usual will focus on results from the likes of Apple and IBM on Wednesday and Microsoft, which produces interim figures on Thursday.
The best set of figures is likely to come from IBM, with projected earnings per share of $1.46 compared with $1.12 in the same period last year. Analysts still fear Big Blue may be too cumbersome to adapt quickly to the industry slowdown in the year ahead.
Monday
Results: Bits Corporation (H1), Charles Schwab, Gambro, Inter Link Foods (H1), Sanctuary, Topnotch Health Clubs (H1).
A.G.M.: Abacus Polar, Elios Holding (e.g.m.), Freedomland, Krupp, Permasteelisa.
Meetings: Conference on "New World, Old World: Risks Have Changed" (Berkeley Court Hotel, Dublin).
Indicators: British producer price index (Dec); German retail sales (Nov).
Others: US markets close for Martin Luther King holiday; An Bord Bia annual review 2000.
Tuesday
Results: Abbot Laboratories, Advanced Micro Devices, Aim (H1), Anite (H1), Applied Micro Circuits (Q3), Bank of America, Domino Printing, ICON (Q2), Irish Continental Group, Keycorp, Mellon Financial, Northern Trust, Somerfield (H1), Surf Control (Q2), Teradyne, Tomkins (H1), Tops Tiles (H1), Wells Fargo.
A.G.M.: Majedie Investments, Northern 2 VCT (e.g.m.).
Meetings: IAPF/SIAI Investment Odyssey Outlook 2001 (Burlington Hotel, Dublin). Indicators: EMU GDP (Q3); US business inventories (Sep); British retail prices (Dec) and harmonised consumer prices (Dec); French trade balance (Nov)
Others: Department of Public Enterprise announces results of competition for broadband licences; Tesco, Somerfield, Debenhams and Safeway release Christmas trading figures.
Wednesday
Results: AMR, Apple Computer (Q1), Becton Dickinson (Q1), Boeing, Chase Manhattan, DTZ Holdings (H1), Eastman Kodak, General Motors, Harley-Davidson, IBM, Reg Vardy (H1), Whittard of Chelsea (H1), Xilinx (Q3).
Meetings: OPEC extraordinary meeting on oil market policy; Dail Select Committee on Enterprise and Small Business; Marketing Institute breakfast on "The Marketing Age is Over" (Dome Restaurant, Dublin).
Indicators: EMU industrial production (Nov); British unemployment (Dec), average earnings (Nov) and unit wage costs (Nov); US consumer prices (Dec), industrial production (Dec), Beige Book and real earnings (Dec); Italian industrial production (Nov).
Others: Enterprise Ireland year-end statement 2000; Hibernian announces new business figures for 2000.
Thursday
Results: Budgens (H1), Caterpillar, Delta Air Lines, Gateway, Microsoft, ML Laboratories, Nortel Networks, SCI Entertainment, Sun Microsystems (Q2), Unisys.
A.G.M.: Airtours, Deutsche Borse (e.g.m.), Friends Prov Ethical (e.g.m.), Numis Corporation.
Meetings: ECB governing council meets; Euro zone finance minister meet (Brussels); UCC Commerce & Economic Society annual business conference 2001 (Jurys Hotel, Cork); Committee of Public Accounts DIRT sub-committee hears from Revenue Commissioners.
Indicators: US housing starts/permits (Nov), Philadelphia Federal Survey (Jan) and Michigan Sentiment Survey (Jan); British retail sales (Dec); Italian consumer prices (Dec).
Friday
Results: Edison Int'l, Old Monk Company (H1), Somerfield (H1).
A.G.M.: Caledonia, Caradon (e.g.m.), Elektra (e.g.m.), Northern Investors Co (e.g.m.), Porsche, Ultraframe.
Meetings: Ecofin meeting (Brussels); Institute of European Affairs round table discussion on the internal market in financial services.
Indicators: Irish consumer prices (Dec); US exports/imports (Nov) and international trade (Nov); British building society figures (Dec) and M4 data (Dec); Italian industrial orders (Dec); French industrial production (Nov); German producer prices (Dec).
Others: Inauguration of George W Bush as president of the United States.
