The Business News Week Ahead

Markets will be most focused on US consumer prices on Tuesday and whether monthly comparisons show the same acceleration expected for the yearly ones. Chinese merchandise trade on Wednesday is also a market mover, offering an update on just how much the country's growth may be accelerating. And anything short of an unwavering commitment to continued stimulus from the Reserve Bank of New Zealand could send global stock markets lower on Wednesday. Indian CPI, which has been moving above the Reserve Bank of India's median target, will also be on central-bank radar.

Other headliners include UK industrial production and monthly GDP (both moved from Monday to Tuesday), German ZEW sentiment data on Tuesday, and Japanese machinery orders on Wednesday. A heavy week for US data, aside from the CPI, will include the Treasury's statement on Monday and the latest on the country's deepening debt load, and industrial production on Thursday preceded by what promises to be a stimulus-swollen retail sales report also on Thursday. Housing starts and consumer sentiment round out the US week on Friday. German, French and Italian CPI data on Thursday and Eurozone harmonised consumer prices will be revisions.