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Monday
Results: Aralez Pharmaceuticals, Jazz Pharmaceuticals, Office Depot, Reis, Yelp.
Indicators: Euro-zone retail purchasing managers' index (PMI) (Apr); German factory orders (Mar), construction PMI (Apr).
Tuesday
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Results: Mylan, Deutsche Post DHL, LafargeHolcim, DSM, Symrise, Adecco, Crocs, Jones Lang LaSalle, Marriott International, Trip Advisor, Walt Disney.
Indicators: UK house price index (Apr); German industrial production (Mar), exports and imports (Mar); US economic optimism (May).
Meetings: Dublin Chamber Design for Enterprises event on SME design driven innovation (Dublin Chamber of Commerce, Clare Street, Dublin 2).
Wednesday
Results: Horizon Pharma.
Indicators: Irish residential property prices (Mar), new vehicle licences (Apr); US producer price index (Apr).
Meetings: Ibec Annual Employment Law Conference (Croke Park Conference Centre, Dublin 3).
Ibec’s 2018 Employment Law Conference on Wednesday will address the emerging and “increasingly restrictive” trends in employment legislation. Key areas of focus, the organisers say, will be the Employment (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill, independent contracting, retirement age and longer working, substance abuse in the workplace, and a comprehensive review of recent case law.
“What is driving these trends, what impact they are likely to have for workplace relations and the balance of flexibility for employers and employees” will set the scene, Ibec says.
In advance of the conference, the employer lobby has said that safeguarding the growth of the Irish economy as a place to do business is critical, but that a evidence-based approaches to legislation “regrettably seems to elude us”.
“In the last year alone,” it says, “the employment relationship has been the subject of more than 10 proposals for new legislation (when Private Members’ Bills are included) purporting to regulate everything from extreme weather to trade union representation.”
The business community, it stresses, recognises the need for a balanced approach to employment regulation but “there is an increased appetite for pitting employers and employees against each other despite the negative impact this is may have for workplace relations”.
Thursday
Results: Dropbox, News Corp.
Indicators: Irish inflation (Apr); UK industrial production (Mar), manufacturing production (Mar), construction output (Mar); US inflation (Apr);
Meetings: Bank of England interest rate decision; Irish Economic Association Annual Conference (Central Bank, North Wall Quay, Dublin 1); Mobility X Conference on driverless car technology (Iveagh House, St Stephen's Green, Dublin 2).
By now everybody is prepared for the sight of cars whizzing around the streets with nobody in the driver’s seat, but what of the business opportunities in Ireland?
On Thursday, a one-day public conference will address this very area – meeting industry leaders and getting a better sense of where it is all at. To add a characteristic sparkle of tech-sector intrigue, the open-to-all, conference will be followed by an invitation-only weekend on Achill Island.
“There are lots of opportunities for start-ups to provide new services and platforms for self-driving,” said Philip McNamara, organiser of the MobilityX event and vice-president of Voxpro.
"Ireland is unique in Europe in that we can offer self-driving car companies the ability to test in wet weather, adverse left-hand-drive conditions, as well as local government that is open to testing and deploying in rural areas."
It is a similar argument that was applied to testing the drone industry at a relatively similar stage of its early development and one that Irish investors may be keen in chasing.
There are social solutions for Ireland too, says McNamara. “Self-driving cars can help alleviate the issues of rural isolation, rural transportation, as well as problems associated with drink-driving. Self-driving cars could be part of a solution for policymakers to understand how autonomous vehicles could be part of the transportation mix.”
The event will be attended by speakers from industry leaders such as Samsung, AutonomouStuff, Naxar, BMW ReachNow and Arralis.
Friday
Indicators: Irish industrial production (Mar); US import and export prices (Mar).