THIS WEEK

KEY INDICATORS due out this week are unlikely to do much to dispel the economic gloom.

On Wednesday the results of the Quarterly National Household Survey for quarter two are expected to show that the annual rate of jobs growth has slowed.

Retail sales figures for June will be closely watched on Friday. As car sales were very weak in the month, overall retail sales data is expected to show a sharp year-on-year decline.

Meanwhile in the UK, attention will be focused on the release of minutes from the last Bank of England policy meeting at which the decision was made to leave interest rates on hold.

Today

Results: BHP Billiton; Lowes; Michael Page International

Meetings: Petrel Resources agm

Indicators: EU external trade (June); Irish trade statistics (April); US NAHB Housing Survey (August); UK Rightmove house price survey (August).

Tomorrow

Results: Hewlett-Packard; Home Depot; Virgin Blue

Indicators: US producer prices (July), ABC/Washington Post weekly consumer confidence (w/e August 17th) and housing starts (July); German producer prices (July) and ZEW Expectations (August); Bank of Japan rate announcement

Other: Greencore interim management statement; Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas president Richard Fisher speaks on the US economy at the Progress and Freedom Foundation's 2008 Aspen Summit, Colorado.

Wednesday

Results: Gymboree; Phillips-Van Heusen; Salesforce.com; Suntech Power; Trintech

Indicators: Irish Quarterly National Household Survey (Q2) and population and migration estimates (April); US EIA weekly oil stocks report (w/e August 15th); UK M4 Lending (July), PSNCR (July), CBI monthly industrial trends survey (August) and MPC minutes; Canadian leading indicator (July 9th)

Other: Summer B2B speednetworking event (Conrad Hotel, D2)

Thursday

Results: Barnes and Noble; Burger King; Foot Locker; Gap; H.J. Heinz; Jamba Juice; Pacific Sunwear of California; Persimmon; QAD; QBE Insurance; SIG

Indicators: EU purchasing managers' survey (August); Irish wholesale price index (July) and external trade (June); US leading indicators (July), Philadelphia Fed Survey (August), money supply (w/e August 11th) and jobless claims (August 16th); UK retail sales (July); German purchasing managers' survey (July); French France purchasing managers' survey (August); Japanese trade balance (July)

Other: US Federal Reserve Bank of Wyoming annual economic symposium (to August 23rd)

Friday

Results: Dragon Oil; Rentokil Initial; Spectris

Indicators: EU current account (June) and industrial orders (June); Irish retail sales index (June); UK GDP (Q2) and index of services (June);.