Americas
In the US, fourth-quarter earnings will continue to drive market sentiment next week, with results due from major companies including Nvidia, Berkshire Hathaway, Salesforce, Keurig Dr Pepper, HP, Snowflake, Synopsys, The Trade Desk, Intuit, and Baidu. Investors will also monitor speeches from several Fed officials, after minutes from the Federal Reserve’s latest meeting highlighted divisions over the interest-rate outlook and raised questions about the pace of potential rate cuts. On the data front, attention will center on Friday’s US Producer Price Index report. Headline PPI is expected to rise 0.3% in January, slowing from December’s 0.5% gain, while core PPI is seen increasing 0.3% after a 0.7% jump. Other key releases include factory orders, the Case-Shiller home price index, Conference Board consumer confidence, and regional gauges such as the Chicago Fed National Activity Index, Chicago PMI, and the Dallas Fed Manufacturing Index. Elsewhere in America, markets will track Canada’s fourth-quarter GDP and current account figures, alongside Mexico’s trade balance and Brazil’s unemployment rate.

Nvidia Headquarters, Santa Clara, CA

Europe

Major European economies including Germany, France and Spain will publish preliminary February inflation data, with German price growth expected to ease toward the European Central Bank’s 2% target, holding near 2.1% on the EU harmonized measure. In Germany, the Ifo Business Climate Index is seen rising to a four month high, while the GfK Consumer Climate Indicator may improve for a second month. The unemployment rate is projected to remain at 6.3%, with the number of jobless nearing 3 million, and France will also release labor market figures. In Switzerland, the KOF Economic Barometer is expected to decline again. Additional releases include Eurozone car registrations, business and consumer surveys, and GDP data from Switzerland and Turkey. In the United Kingdom, focus will be on CBI distributive trades, GfK confidence and Nationwide house prices.

Paris, France

Asia Pacific

In China, markets will reopen next week following the extended Lunar New Year holiday, though no major economic releases are scheduled. The People's Bank of China is widely expected to keep its one- and five-year loan prime rates unchanged at 3% and 3.5%, respectively. In Japan, attention will turn to January industrial production which is expected to have surged 5.3%, retail sales, housing starts, and construction orders, alongside Tokyo inflation data for February. In India, focus will turn to GDP growth figures for the last quarter. Australia is set to report inflation data, with the annual rate likely easing to 3.7% in January from 3.8% previously. Additional releases include fourth-quarter construction work done and private capital expenditure. Elsewhere in the region, inflation data are due from Singapore and Hong Kong while trade figures are expected from Thailand, the Philippines, and Hong Kong. New Zealand will publish retail sales data, and Singapore and Hong Kong are scheduled to release final GDP readings. Meanwhile, central banks in Thailand and South Korea will decide on monetary policy.

Marina Bay, Singapore