The Business News Week Ahead

The global economy will get a serious update in the coming week headlined by production data from the sector that is bearing the brunt of the slowdown in trade. Both China on Thursday and the US on Friday will post their October industrial production reports, with China expected to slow and the US expected to extend September's contraction. September data on industrial production will fill up the first half of the week including reports from the UK, Italy, India and also the Eurozone where deepening contraction in Germany, and the risk of industrial recession, was a headline of the prior week. So far the slowdown in trade has had only a limited impact on consumer sectors with US retail sales on Friday expected to show respectable strength, much like China where retail sales will be posted Thursday amid expectations for steady growth. Other data to watch include preliminary GDP reports from the UK on Monday and Japan on Wednesday, ZEW business expectations from Germany on Tuesday and a policy announcement from the Reserve Bank of New Zealand on Wednesday where a rate cut may be in the cards. US consumer prices, where subdued results are expected, will be posted on Wednesday.