Economic Calendar Of The week - April 18-22, 2016

Welcome to the Investors Trading Academy economic calendar of the week. Each week our news analysts review the upcoming economic events that you should be monitoring. Traders will focus on week two of earning season with Alphabet, formerly Google the big event on the calendar. The US earnings recession that began in the third quarter of 2015 is expected to continue until the second quarter, with profits slated to fall 2.2% - not as bad as the nearly 8% drop expected in the first quarter. Reporting ramps up next week, with results from top tech names Alphabet IBM and Intel, as well as a host of consumer names including Starbucks, Yum Brands and Coca-Cola. Earnings from big tech, industrials and financial firms should all drive trading in the week ahead, but what traders are waiting for first is the fallout from Doha on oil prices. The meeting in Qatar this weekend between OPEC and non-OPEC oil producers has been much heralded but was also seen yielding low results. At best, analysts expect a loose agreement to freeze production between Saudi Arabia, Russia and others, with few details or commitments. It may even involve an announcement of a follow-up meeting. Cautiously optimistic strategists are pointing to the modest rebound in oil and other commodity prices, a softening dollar and slow-but-steady growth in the US economy as reasons to expect an improvement in earnings. Financial leaders meet in Washington this week for the spring meetings of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank amid growing concern over the health of the world economy. Fears of a sharp slowdown in China, the failure of cheap oil to boost growth and a slowing of productivity growth has undermined the global economy. Investors will need to wade through a raft of economic data this coming week, including the March unemployment report, retail sales and public finance figures, on Wednesday and Thursday. The latter, in particular, will likely kick up a considerable storm as the Chancellor's budget plans feel the strain of the uncertainty surrounding the Brexit referendum as it weighs down economic activity. Also on Thursday, the European Central Bank's governing council will meet to decide on interest rates. No changes are expected but Draghi's press conference may be worth following giving recent criticism of the ECB's stimulus from German finance chief Wolfgang Schaeuble - despite the lack of economic reforms by Eurozone governments. Preliminary readings for euro area purchasing managers' indices referencing the month of April will also be closely watched, as markets look for signs that the latest round of stimulus from the ECB is kicking in. By Barry Norman, Investors Trading Academy - ITA