Week ahead: BoJ and ECB expected to hold rates steady
Updated : 17:07
Central bank meetings will be the theme of next week, with decisions due from the Bank of Japan and European Central Bank, as the world continues to wait for inflation figures to fall back down to policymakers’ targets.
First up is the Bank of Japan’s latest monetary policy decision expected early Tuesday morning, which comes fresh off the heels of inflation figures released this week which showed that consumer price pressures eased in December.
Core Japanese inflation, which excludes food and energy, eased to an annual rate of 2.3% from 2.5% the month before, the lowest rate seen since June 2022, which many suggest will ease the pressure on the BoJ to change its negative interest-rate stance next week, with rates expected to stay at -0.1%.
“The central bank is still expected to try and begin the process of a more normal monetary policy over the next few months with rates expected to come out of negative territory in the first half of this year,” said analyst Michael Hewson from CMC Markets.
On Wednesday, the European Central Bank will also announce its policy decision, and is also widely expected to stand pat on rates for the time being, leaving the main refinancing rate at 4.5%
“This should be another straightforward hold. Comments from policymakers at Davos suggest that the governing council is not ready to make a dovish shift just yet,” said analysts at TD Securities.
Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Austrian central bank head and ECB member Robert Holzmann said that markets are pricing in a sooner-than-anticipated rate cut which “might become self-defeating”.
“We are optimistic that we have a credible prospect of a return of inflation to 2% in 2025. But a lot still needs to go well for that to happen,” Knot said. “Underlying that projection is an interest rate path, assumed interest rate path, that contains significantly less easing than is currently embedded in market pricing. So that runs the risk to become self-defeating.”
Also on the macro front, the closely watched US personal consumption expenditures index – the Federal Reserve’s preferred measure of inflation – is scheduled for Friday and is forecast to show that the annual rate of inflation eased to 3.0% in December from 3.2% in November – which was already the lowest level since April 2021.
“The release of the latest US PCE deflator report for December in the week ahead should [...] provide further evidence that inflation is slowing back to the Fed’s target and laying the foundations for the Fed to begin cutting rates this year,” said economist Lee Hardman from MUFG.
In terms of major corporate news, Crest Nicholson Holdings, Associated British Foods and Premier Foods will update the market on Tuesday; followed by easyJet on Wednesday; IG Group, Wizz Air and Britvic on Thursday; and Superdry and WH Smith on Friday.
Monday January 22
QUARTERLY PAYMENT DATE
Abrdn DIversified Income And Growth
GMS
Smart Metering Systems
TRADING ANNOUNCEMENTS
S4 Capital
Tuesday January 23
FINALS
Crest Nicholson Holdings, Watkin Jones
EGMS
SDIC Power Holdings Co.,Ltd GDR (Reg S)
AGMS
C4X Discovery Holdings , Goldplat, Marston's, Mitchells & Butlers
TRADING ANNOUNCEMENTS
Associated British Foods, Premier Foods
UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
Public Sector Net Borrowing (07:00)
Wednesday January 24
INTERIMS
Hargreaves Services, Van Elle Holdings
INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Baltic Classifieds Group, Discoverie Group, Pharos Energy
QUARTERLY PAYMENT DATE
Alpha Real Trust Ltd.
INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
Crude Oil Inventories (US) (15:30)
MBA Mortgage Applications (US) (12:00)
AGMS
Botswana Diamonds, Henderson Far East Income Ltd., Lowland Investment Co, Pantheon Resources, Tracsis
TRADING ANNOUNCEMENTS
Computacenter, easyJet, Lords Group Trading, Palace Capital , PensionBee Group , Quilter
Thursday January 25
INTERIMS
IG Group Holdings, Newmark Security PLC, Time Finance
INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Sirius Real Estate Ltd., The Global Smaller Companies Trust
INTERIM EX-DIVIDEND DATE
Brickability Group , City of London 4.2% Cum 1st Prf Stk, City of London Investment Trust 4.2% Non-Cum 2nd Prf Stk, City of London Investment Trust Preference Ord Stk 14% Non-Cumulative 1, Ferrexpo, Pennon Group, Solid State
QUARTERLY PAYMENT DATE
General Electric Co (CDI), Law Debenture Corp.
QUARTERLY EX-DIVIDEND DATE
City of London Inv Trust, JPMorgan Claverhouse Inv Trust, Tufton Oceanic Assets Limited NPV
INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
Continuing Claims (US) (13:30)
Durable Goods Orders (US) (13:30)
GDP (Preliminary) (US) (13:30)
IFO Business Climate (GER) (09:00)
IFO Current Assessment (GER) (09:00)
IFO Expectations (GER) (09:00)
Initial Jobless Claims (US) (13:30)
New Homes Sales (US) (15:00)
Q3
Wizz Air Holdings
GMS
Societatea Nationala De Gaze Naturale Romgaz S.A. GDR (Reg S)
FINALS
IDOX, Titon Holdings
AGMS
Alteration Earth, Barings Emerging Emea Opportunities , Britvic, Greencore Group (CDI), Henderson European Focus Trust, Treatt
TRADING ANNOUNCEMENTS
Conduit Holdings Limited Com Shs (DI), Empresaria Group, Fuller Smith & Turner, Intermediate Capital Group, Mitie Group, PPHE Hotel Group Ltd
FINAL EX-DIVIDEND DATE
Carr's Group, RWS Holdings, Tracsis, Victrex plc
Q1
Britvic
Friday January 26
INTERIMS
Superdry
INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Auto Trader Group , Big Yellow Group, Burberry Group, Cranswick, Foresight Group Holdings Limited NPV, Iomart Group, Latham (James), Montanaro European Smaller Companies Trust, Templeton Emerging Markets Inv Trust, Walker Crips Group
QUARTERLY PAYMENT DATE
Abrdn Private Equity Opportunities Trust, Marble Point Loan Financing Limited NPV, Value and Indexed Property Income Trust
INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
GFK Consumer Confidence (GER) (07:00)
M3 Money Supply (EU) (09:00)
Personal Consumption Expenditures (US) (13:30)
Personal Income (US) (13:30)
Personal Spending (US) (13:30)
EGMS
Air China Ltd.
AGMS
Avon Protection, On The Beach Group , WH Smith
TRADING ANNOUNCEMENTS
Paragon Banking Group, Record, WH Smith
UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
GFK Consumer Confidence (00:01)
FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Character Group, Ultimate Products