THE WEEK AHEAD

A glut of economic indicators are due in the week ahead, headlined by a number of important company releases as we move into the February earnings season.

Locally, markets will be closed on Monday for the Australia day public holiday. Later in the week, producer price index figures for the December quarter are due.

Overseas, December quarter gross domestic product data is awaited in the United States.

Elsewhere, the US Federal Reserve will hold its monthly meeting for January, where it will make a decision on interest rates.

A huge week in company news sees the big supermarket giants, Wesfarmers and Woolworths, release quarterly sales figures.

In resources, Origin Energy and Oil Search will release quarterly sales results, while overseas, production updates are due from Chevron, ExxonMobil and Royal Dutch Shell.

Local news

The week in local news is a short one, with markets closed on Monday for the Australia Day holiday.

On source we won't be seeing any action from is the Reserve Bank of Australia, which is still enjoying an extended holiday break. The central bank holds its first policy-setting meeting for 2013 next week.

The week begins to heat up on Tuesday, when National Australia Bank releases its business conditions and business confidence indexes for the month of December.

On Thursday, the ABS will release data on local import and export price figures for the fourth quarter.

The Australian Industry Group will release its performance on manufacturing index for January.

Elsewhere, December private sector credit data is on tap, along with new home sales data for December from the Housing Industry Association.

Friday sees the release of December quarter producer price index data for the December quarter. Analysts are expecting the figures to show a 0.2 per cent rise in producer prices during the three-month period.

Elsewhere, RP Data and Rismark will release their capital city home price index for January. Experts are tipping the figures will show a 1.3 per cent lift in the value of homes.

Corporate

A huge week in company news sees a number of quarterly reports from local groups as they prepare for the approaching February earnings season, along with some important releases overseas.

In the US on Monday, Yahoo! and Caterpillar Inc will release fourth-quarter earnings data.

On Tuesday, Oil Search and Beach Energy are due to make quarterly production figures available to the market.

Overseas, fourth quarter earnings results are due from Ford Motor Company, Peabody Energy Corp, Pfizer and Amazon.com.

Wednesday brings quarterly sales figures from supermarket giant Coles owner Wesfarmers.

Elsewhere, Roc Oil is expected to release its quarterly production report.

In the US, Boeing, ConocoPhillips and Facebook will join the fourth-quarter earnings party.

Thursday sees Woolworths release first-quarter sales data, while second quarter production figures are due from Origin Energy.

Elsewhere, Energy Resources of Australia will release full-year earnings results, while Navitas will produce interim figures.

Earnings are also due from Aurora Oil & Gas and Discovery Metals.

Elsewhere, both Orica and Arrium will sit down with shareholders at annual general meetings.

Offshore, MasterCard and Royal Dutch Shell are due to reveal fourth-quarter earnings results.

On Friday, Westfield Retail Trust is due to report full-year earnings figures, alongside interim results from Resource Generation.

Wrapping up a big week locally, Sundance Resources will hold an extraordinary general meeting, where investors will vote on a long-awaited takeover deal with Chinese giant
Hanlong Mining.

In the US, quarterly updates are due from crude giants Chevron and ExxonMobil.

Offshore

In overseas news, a pile of data from the United States overshadows news from most other countries.

In the United States on Monday, data on durable goods orders for December and the pending home sale index for the month will be released.

Analysts expect the data to show orders rose one per cent in the month.

Elsewhere, the latest Dallas Federal Reserve manufacturing survey will be released.

In the UK, data on house prices for January is due.

In Europe, December figures on money supply and private loans are on tap.

On Tuesday, consumer confidence data for January is set for release in the US, along with the Standard & Poor's Case Shiller home price index for November.

Experts believe that house prices may have risen 0.6 per cent in the period, taking the total annual rise to 5 per cent.

Wednesday brings highly anticipated fourth quarter gross domestic product data in the US.

Experts expect the figures to show the US economy grew at a 1.3 per cent annual rate in the December quarter.

The monthly ADP Employment Report group is also due, along with the latest Energy Information Administration's petroleum status report.

The ADP survey is expected to show that 163,000 jobs were created in January.

Fourth quarter personal consumption data for January will be released, alongside the Mortgage Bankers Association's mortgage applications report.

In the UK, monthly mortgage approvals figures are awaited, along with data on net lending to individuals.

Thursday brings the most recent jobless claims data in the US, along with personal income and outlay figures for January.

Economists are tipping the numbers to show income grew 0.7 per cent in the month, while spending rose just 0.3 per cent.

The employment cost index is also on tap, along with the Chicago purchasing managers index.

On Friday in the US, the January employment situation report will be released, including non-farm payrolls data and the official unemployment rate.

Analysts believe the figures will show an official rise of close to 165,000 jobs in the month.

Elsewhere, Markit manufacturing data for January will be released, along with the Reuters/Michigan consumer sentiment index for the month.

December construction spending figures are also on tap.

Rounding off a busy day, the ISM manufacturing PMI for January and total car sales numbers are awaited. Analysts predict the manufacturing index will remain in expansion territory
above a reading of 50.

In Europe, Markit manufacturing data for January is due, while in China, HSBC will release its January manufacturing PMI.

Wrapping up

Rounding off the week, the US Federal Reserve will kick off its January policy meeting on Tuesday, where it will make its interest rate decision for the month.

On Wednesday, the European Central Bank's first set of repayments for its longer-term refinancing operations begins.

On Thursday, European Union commissioners Vitor Constancio, Erkki Liikanen and MIchel Barnier will speak at conference in Brussels.