As usual for the start of a new month, there will be plenty of new economic data to digest in the coming week, but little in the way of scheduled company releases in the diary.
Retailers are usually the exception, and indeed Next PLC (LSE:NXT) will kick off with the first post-Christmas update.
Things are likely to pick up in the following weeks with more retail catch-ups.
MONDAY 1 JANUARY 2024
It’s the New Year’s Day bank holiday in the UK, US and many other countries – with India’s stock market being one of the few open around the world this coming Monday.
TUESDAY 2 JANUARY 2024
The economic announcements begin with manufacturing sector purchasing managers' index (PMI) surveys for most major economies, including the US, EU and UK.
In the US there will also be construction spending data.
WEDNESDAY 3 JANUARY 2024
Wednesday has minutes from the last Fed policy meeting, plus a raft of stats, including MBA mortgage applications, ISM manufacturing PMI, ISM prices, Redbook index, crude oil inventories and JOLTS job quits.
For the UK, the latest grocery market share figures and an update on supermarket price inflation will be released by Kantar.
THURSDAY 4 JANUARY 2024
We have our first trading updates of the year, with Next PLC (LSE:NXT) opening things up for the retail sector, with the eyes of the industry, investors and analysts likely to be zeroing in on what the sector bellwether has to say after a glum Boxing Day for the high street.
Following a bullish year for the blue-chip chain, which saw shares rise almost 40%, the latest trading performance suggests a return to more historic trends in 2024, according to one analyst, while another saw Next as the one ray of light in an expected gloomy year ahead.
In macro world, Thursday brings more PMI data, focusing on the services sector this time.
For the US we will also have initial and continuing jobless claims and auto sales figures.
FRIDAY 5 JANUARY 2024
For the UK we have some house price data from the Halifax and PMI construction data from S&P .
The big numbers that will get traders out of bed will be the US non-farm payrolls report, which also provides the official unemployment and wage growth numbers.
US factory orders and ISM services surveys are due too.