The Business News Week Ahead

The European Central Bank's decision on Thursday is very certain to be the week's most important event, and though forecasters may not see a cut for the policy rate into the no-man's land of negative rates, they do see other stimulus measures being taken. Thursday and Friday will see key reports out of the US, first consumer prices then retail sales which should settle whether, or more accurately by how much, the Federal Reserve cuts rates at their policy announcement on September 18. The week starts off with the latest update on trade effects out of China on Monday followed through the week by a run of industrial production reports including out of France which is vying for the best performing economy of 2019.