THE WEEK AHEAD
COMPANY NEWS
● TUI Travel announces its preliminary results for the year today. The company is an international leisure travel agency that operates aircraft and retail outlets and services the European and North American markets.
● Northgate will announce its interim results tomorrow. A vehicle rental business, Northgate hopes the first half of its financial year has driven it to positive results.
● Photo-Me International has its interim announcement on Friday. Photo-Me snapped its way to success by manufacturing and selling coin-operated photobooths.
ECONOMICS
● The Bank of England and the European Central Bank will release their interest rate decisions on Thursday. The previous BoE interest rate was 0.5 per cent. The ECB’s previous interest rate was 1.25 per cent, down from October’s 1.5 per cent.
● The Bank of Canada, Reserve Bank of Australia and Reserve Bank of New Zealand will also release their interest rate decisions this week.
● The Statisches Bundesamt Deutschland will release the consumer price index for Germany on Friday. This will reveal the country’s rate of inflation.
POLITICAL NEWS
● US and Chinese defence officials will hold their annual defence talks in Beijing this week. This comes three months after the Obama administration decided it would sell $5.3bn in upgrades to Taiwan’s fighter jet fleet, despite China’s opposition.
● Conservative Anthea McIntyre starts work in the European Parliament this week, as the UK’s 73rd MEP. McIntyre will represent the West Midlands.
● On Friday, Merkozy will present their plans for tackling the Eurozone crisis to EU leaders at a summit in Brussels.