THE WEEK AHEAD

At home, it’s mixed week coming up. David Jones, Nufarm and Funtastic will hand down annual reports, while the Australian Bureau of Statistics releases jobs vacancy figures and financial accounts data.

The Reserve Bank gets a bit of a breather, with little else on the calendar but its Financial Stability Review.

There’s plenty of activity offshore. Germany kicks off its federal elections and we’ll see flash manufacturing PMIs for the US, China and Europe. Key property data, consumer confidence and GDP figures are also due out of the US, along with GDP data for the UK and Japan.

On the events calendar, talks from ANZ Bank’s Phil Chronican and CSIRO chairman Simon McKeon will be of interest.

Reserve Bank

After last week’s busy schedule, there’s little on the cards for our central bank this week.

On Wednesday, the Reserve releases its half-yearly Financial Stability Review, an overview of the current condition, potential risks and policy developments associated with the Australian financial system.

Local data

There are a couple of key jobs numbers out this week, as well as quarterly financial accounts data, from the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

Tuesday sees skilled vacancies figures from the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations.

On Thursday, the ABS releases its job vacancy figures, with analysts tipping a 7.3 per cent fall in August.

Its financial accounts data for the June quarter and population estimates for the March quarter are also due.

Corporate

David Jones, among others, is only just getting down to reporting earnings, while quite a few listed companies are scheduled to pay final dividends this week.

Monday is date payable for QBE Insurance Group.

On Tuesday David Jones will post its full-year results, and it is date payable for Tabcorp, Downer EDI and Trade Me.

Wednesday sees Nufarm post its full-year earnings, while it’s time for Ansell and Ramsay Health Care to cough up dividends.

On Thursday, Webjet trades ex-dividend.

Friday brings Funtastic’s full-year results, and Air New Zealand holds its annual general meeting.

It’s also the date of record for Bank of Queensland and date payable for AGL Energy, Challenger Financial Services Group, Lend Lease and Boral.

Offshore

Germany’s federal election will be watched closely by markets this week. The latest GDP read will headline a slew of data due out of the US, including consumer confidence, manufacturing data, house prices, house sales prints. We’ll also get GDP figures for the UK and flash manufacturing PMIs for China and Europe.

The week’s international news kicks off on Sunday as Germany’s federal elections get underway. The result has potentially large ramifications for Europe given current German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s key role in the eurozone crisis.

On Monday, the September read of China’s HSBC flash manufacturing purchasing managers index is due. Bloomberg economists are tipping a rise to 50.8, from 50.1 in the previous month.

Tuesday brings Markit’s flash manufacturing PMI for the US and the eurozone. Bloomberg expects the US September index to come in at 54.

On Wednesday, US consumer confidence figures for September are released. Bloomberg is tipping the index to fall to 80.4, down from 81.5 in August.

Meanwhile S&P Case-Schiller posts its monthly US house price index for July, with economists predicting annual gains above 12 per cent.

Thursday brings August data for new home sales in the US, with Bloomberg expecting a solid rise of 7.9 per cent in the month, compared to a 13.4 per cent fall in July.

We’ll also see US durable goods orders for August, with a 0.5 per cent increase expected.

On Friday US second-quarter GDP figures are on tap, with the final growth estimate expected to come in at 2.5 per cent.

Also due out are pending home sales for August, along with weekly initial jobless claims. Personal income and spending are set for release, with analysts tipping a 0.3 per cent rise for each.

Over in Europe, we’ll see the UK’s second-quarter current account balance and GDP figures.

And in Asia, Japan’s consumer price index read for August is out.

Wrapping up

After this week’s market-moving US Federal Reserve meeting, there’s little of interest coming up on the offshore events calendar.

At home, Tuesday sees CSIRO chairman Simon McKeon host an Australian Institute of Company Directors Leaders’ Edge lunch on ‘The megatrends: Future shocks that will confront organisations in the longer-term’.

KPMG partner Agnes Vacca will be among the speakers at the AICD Future Series on the topic of small business, titled ‘Strive to Thrive’.

On Wednesday, Accor Asia Pacific managing director Michael Issenberg discusses the tourism and travel industry opportunities in Asia at a Trans-Tasman Business Circle breakfast.

On Thursday ANZ Australia chief executive Phil Chronican speaks at an American Chamber of Commerce in Australia luncheon in Sydney.

Keith de Lacy will also host an AICD Gold Coast Fellows networking event, discussing his leadership experience.