Major events for the coming week:
- CB Leading Index: Monday, 14:30. The composite index increased by 0.2% last month, and a similar rise is likely now. The economy is humming along quite well, at least for now.
- Monetary Policy Meeting Minutes: Tuesday, 13:30. The accounts from the recent RBA meeting could shed some more light on RBA’s plans, who have not changed interest rates in nearly two years. The meeting minutes could reveal concerns about trade, views about China, and more.
- HPI: Tuesday, 1:30. The quarterly House Price Index provides a broad view of the housing sector. The HPI jumped by 1% in Q4 2017 and a drop of 0.9% is on the cards now.
- MI Leading Index: Wednesday, 00:30. The Melbourne Institute’s composite index moved up by 0.2% last time, exactly like the CB’s measure. Also here, a repeat would not be surprising.
- Phillip Lowe talks: Wednesday, 1:30. Fed Chair Jerome Powell, ECB President Mario Draghi, Bank of Japan Governor Haruhiko Kuroda, and RBA Governor Phillip Lowe will all participate in a panel discussion in Portugal at the ECB’s conference. It will be interesting to hear if any of them express concern over the deteriorating trade relations in the world.
- RBA Bulletin: Thursday, 1:30. This data dump by the RBA provides further insights about the economy. However, the RBA Monetary Statement tends to have a broader impact.