The Business News Week Ahead

The week’s most pressing data won’t be coming out during the week at all, that is the workweek; CFLP manufacturing for February, a report that could well outline the magnitude of the coronavirus effect, won’t be posted until Saturday morning Chinese time on February 29th, or well into Friday evening Eastern Time. Other hard data in the week will further update the condition of the global economy heading into the outbreak including Hong Kong GDP, which will be data on Thursday for the hard hit fourth quarter, and January reports on industrial production and retail sales from Japan, both on Friday and likely to keep this country in the headlines following the prior week's drop in GDP. The coronavirus isn't the only unpleasant special factor in the news; the shutdown of the Boeing 737 scaled back the prior week's US industrial production report and, coming up, January data on US durable goods will offer the next indications of the impact. Inflation updates will be led by Eurozone HICP on Friday with EC economic sentiment also posted late in the week along with the leading indicators index from Switzerland. India GDP on Friday will also be worth watching as will goods trade in the US where the last update was favorable. One of the hottest reports on any calendar will also be released – US new home sales on Wednesday which are expected to give back some of their strong gains.