Good morning and welcome to the Week Ahead, your weekly destination for discussion and analysis of the largest stocks in the UK and overseas.
Earlier this month the UK surprised markets with lower-than-expected inflation figures for March, hitting a two-year low at 3.2%. This outcome contrasts notably with the persistent inflationary pressures seen in the US, where CPI remains higher at 3.5%. The differing inflation dynamics between the two countries are now being reflected in the performances of their respective leading indices. Following these announcements, the FTSE 100 has maintained its positive trend returning just over 1% while the S&P 500 has recorded a decline of over 4.5%.
Looking ahead, this week presents a relatively subdued macroeconomic calendar, featuring releases such as the UK CBI Industrial Trends on Monday and US Jobless Claims on Thursday. However, the focus shifts decisively to corporate earnings, particularly in the US, where several members of the "Magnificent 7" and industry heavyweights like IBM, Visa, Boeing, and Exxon Mobil are set to report.
In the UK, attention will be on updates from key sectors, including housebuilders Taylor Wimpey and Persimmon, as well as consumer goods giants Reckitt Benckiser and Unilever. The banking sector's Q1 updates will commence with Lloyds on Wednesday, followed by Barclays on Thursday and Natwest on Friday.
In Europe, notable names reporting include Novartis, Nestlé, Airbus, Carrefour, Deutsche Bank, Sanofi, and Safran, contributing to a week brimming with market-moving corporate disclosures.
Companies reporting
Day | Big UK earnings | US company reporting | EU company reporting |
Monday - 22nd April | Q1 2024 earnings - Verizon, Nucor | Q1 2024 earnings - Renault, Saipem, SAP | |
Tuesday - 23rd April | Q1 Trading update - Taylor Wimpey, Jupiter Fund Management
| Q1 2024 earnings - Tesla, PepsiCo, Lockheed Martin, Philip Morris International, Invesco, UPS, Texas Instruments, | Q1 2024 earnings - Deutsche Boerse |
Wednesday - 24th April | Q1 Trading update - Lloyds, Reckitt Benckiser, Bunzl | Q1 2024 earnings - Meta, IBM, AT&T, Boeing, Biogen, Humana, Thermo Fisher Scientific, General Dynamics, Ford, Western Union Lam Research | Q1… |
Unlock the rest of this article with a 14 day trial
Already have an account?
Login here