THIS WEEK

THE MAIN focus for the week ahead will be on the private sector credit and mortgage lending data for December due to be published by the Central Bank. Economists expect that mortgage lending has contracted further due to the weakening economy and lack of credit.

In Davos, meanwhile, the annual World Economic Forum meeting starts on Wednesday.

MONDAY

Results:American Express; Amgen; Caterpillar; Crane; Halliburton.

Indicators:US Existing Home Sales (Dec) and Leading Indicators (Dec); UK BBA Mortgage Approvals (Dec).

Others:Wolseley trading statement; Údarás na Gaeltachta publishes annual review.

TUESDAY

Results:Bristol-Myers Squibb; E*Trade; Siemens; Sun Microsystems; Verizon; Yahoo.

Meetings:IFA agm (Irish Farm Centre, Bluebell, Dublin 12); Cork Chamber Business Breakfast (Imperial Hotel).

Indicators:EU Current Account (Nov); US SP/Case-Shiller Home Price Indices (Nov); Consumer Confidence (Nov), UK CBI Distributive Trades Survey - Realised (Jan); German IFO; Swiss UBS Consumption Indicator (Dec)

WEDNESDAY

Results:ATT; Boeing; Boston Scientific; ConocoPhillips; Novartis; Pfizer; Qualcomm; SAP; Starbucks.

Meetings:World Economic Forum annual meeting 2009 "Shaping the Post-Crisis World" (to Feb 1st, Davos, Switzerland).

Indicators:Irish Trade Statistics (Sept); US Fed Interest Rate Decision.

Others:Launch of Bord Bia's statement of strategy 2009 - 2011, and launch their Export Performance and Prospects 2008/09 report.

THURSDAY

Results:Amazon.com; Chubb; Colgate-Palmolive; Continental Airlines; Eli Lilly; Ford Motor; Horizon Financial; JetBlue Airways; Sony.

Meetings:UCD Clinton Institute for American Studies and UCD Dublin Euro Institute policy symposium Change in Washington: Economic and Political Implications – speakers include Daniel Drezner (Tufts University), Marek Grela (Council of European Union), Rory Montgomery (Department of Foreign Affairs) (Royal Irish Academy 19 Dawson St, D2); Finding the Future – Discontinuous Innovation in Irish Firms Irish Management Institute event; Leyton Associates seminar on financing RD and innovation; William Fry breakfast briefing on funds.

Indicators:EU Consumer Confidence (Jan), Economic Confidence (Jan) and M3 (Dec); Irish Agricultural Price Indices (Nov) and External Trade (Nov); US Durable Goods Orders (Dec) and New Home Sales (Dec); Japanese Jobless Rate (Dec) and National Consumer Price Index (Dec).

Others:Kentz Corporation to issue pre-close statement.

FRIDAY

Results:Chevron; ExxonMobil; Honda; Invesco; Procter Gamble.

Indicators:Irish Central Bank Monthly Statistics (including private sector credit details), Earnings in Distribution and Business Services (Sept) and Vehicles Licensed for the First Time (2008); UK Gfk Consumer Confidence (Jan), Consumer Credit (Dec), M4 Money Supply and Sterling Lending (Dec) and Mortgage Approvals (Dec); Australian Private Sector Credit (Dec).