Relieving Covid Travel Rules and Optimized Retail Data Should Relieve New Year’s Situation

Hello and welcome to the work week.

Get ready. The next seven days will be a struggle as the temperatures cool the bones, the fall of the post-holiday period continues and people are struggling with the New Year’s resolutions that will put them to the test at the limit.

Across the northern hemisphere, countries have been affected by the Omicron coronavirus variant, and the Christmas holidays seem like a distant memory. This week’s newspaper articles include updates on inflation and details on how climate change has (negatively) affected the US climate.

Are there any reasons to be happy other than, of course, the resumption of The Week Ahead? Well, yes.

Covid-19 standards are loosening for British and Belgian travelers who need to isolate themselves. In addition, pandemic data is added on a daily basis, increasing our knowledge of how to deal with Omicron and showing that its spread may have peaked in some places.

For English cricket fans, the final test match of the Ashes series begins this week in Hobart, which means that the daily flow of miserable news of results will soon be over. Not only do Australians enjoy the show, but they can also look forward to the start of the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne in seven days. And, subject to a court hearing on Monday to decide whether to deport Novak Djokovic, they have the promise of a new men’s individual champion.

There is likely to be positive news from corporate newspaper articles this week. Optimistic reports are expected from several leading Wall Street retailers and banks; see the Companies section below. And the Dutch can wait for a government to finally be installed, 10 months after the election.

Things may not be improving in general, but there is always reason to hope if you look hard enough: email me with your opinion at jonathan.moules@ft.com.

Economic data

This week’s economic data reports will begin on Monday with EU unemployment figures. Inflation will also be news (again) with monthly updates from China, the US, India, Japan and France.

Companies

How was your Christmas? This week we will find out how good it was for a group of retailers, mainly in the UK.

The process began with bullish updates last Thursday Next – a British retailer that has improved its outlook over the past 12 months – and a popular bakery chain, Greggs. This week’s updates may be more varied.

When Asos The last update of the market, his CEO left and his shares fell by almost a fifth. Investors will probably feel relieved just to hear that things haven’t gotten worse at “P1,” the company’s term for the four most important months through the end of December. There will also be quarterly results this week from retailers in particular Fast retail, owner of Uniqlo, Thursday.

Elsewhere, it is the start of the banking information season, and expectations are high after a recent rise in the sector in anticipation of higher interest rates and signs that demand for loans is recovering. JPMorgan Chase, Citigroup i Wells Fargo the procedure will begin on Friday. Investors are awaiting updates on their 2022 outlook.

Key economic and business reports

Here’s a more complete list of what to expect in terms of business reports and economic data this week.

Monday

• EU, eurozone unemployment rate

• Results: Brunello Cucinelli FY

Tuesday

• EU, industrial production figures

• Monthly Report from UK Retail Consortium-KPMG Retail Monitor

• The World Economic Forum publishes its Global Risk Report

Wednesday

• China, India, Russia, USA: Monthly Consumer Price Index (CPI) data.

• EU, India: Monthly figures for industrial production

• Italy, retail sales figures

• Take away food 4Q commercial update

• United Kingdom, provisional national population projections for 2020

• USA, Federal Reserve Beige Book published

• Whitbread Third quarter commercial update

Thursday

• Asos business statement

• China, monthly trade data

• Italy, industrial production figures

• Japan, USA: Monthly producer price index data

• Marks and Spencer Third quarter commercial update

• Khaki commercial update

• Tesco Third quarter business statement

• United Kingdom, Recruitment & Employment Confederation and KPMG Monthly Jobs Report

• Results: Südzucker Q3, Fast retail Q1

Friday

• EU, monthly figures for international trade in goods

• France, CPI data

• Germany, annual GDP figures

• United Kingdom, monthly GDP estimate, industrial production data, trade figures and productivity data

• Industrial production and retail sales figures in the USA

• Results: Citigroup Q4, JPMorgan Chase Q4, Wells Fargo P4

World events

Finally, here is a summary of other events and milestones this week.

Monday

• Relaxation of Covid-19 standards takes effect in Belgium. Fully vaccinated people will no longer need to self-isolate if they come in close contact with someone infected with coronavirus and the isolation time is reduced from 10 to seven days. This follows a relaxation of the rules for fully vaccinated travelers arriving in the UK, who can now do a cheaper side-flow test instead of a PCR test.

• In Belgium, the NATO-Ukraine Commission will meet in Brussels

• The Netherlands, almost 10 months after the elections, the new Dutch government must be installed

• USA, the Golden Globe Awards for Film and Television are announced

Tuesday

• Cuba, 20 years since the first detainees arrived at Guantanamo Bay

• United Kingdom, Hilary’s tenure for the High Court and the Court of Appeal begins

Wednesday

• The Military Committee, the highest military authority in NATO, meets in a session of Chiefs of Defense at NATO Headquarters in Brussels. Separately, the NATO-Russia Council will meet to discuss the accumulation of Russian soldiers on the Ukrainian border.

Thursday

• Italy, tenth anniversary of the Costa Concordia cruise disaster that killed 32 people

• The US, NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announce where 2021 is classified for global temperatures

• The UN is due to publish its report on the state and outlook for the world economy by 2022

Friday

• Australia, start of the fifth test cricket match of the Ashes series in Hobart

• New Year celebrations for Orthodox Christians

• Tunisia, anniversary of the overthrow of President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali

Saturday

Sunday

• Ireland, 100th anniversary state ceremonial ceremony at Dublin Castle to mark the start of the formal handover of power to the Irish Free State

• Netherlands, march in Amsterdam of protesters against the government’s response to the coronavirus

• Serbia is holding a constitutional referendum on its judiciary