WEEK AHEAD WEEK 19

The Central Statistics Office (CSO) will publish an analysis of the difference between public and private sector pay from 2019 to 2022 tomorrow.

The last report, published in 2019, revealed that the gap in earnings had narrowed from 2015 to 2018.

There is also an expectation that this week will deliver further good news on inflation.

The CSO is also set to publish the consumer price index for April on Thursday.

The consumer price index is a standard measure of price inflation for households and fell below 2pc in March.

Prices rose by 2.9pc in the year to March 2024, falling from 3.4pc in the year to February.

The Bank of England is set to meet on Thursday but an interest rate cut is not expected until later in the year. Interest rates are 5.25pc, the highest in 16 years.

It is set to be a quiet week for corporate results.

PTSB will share its first quarter trading update on Wednesday.

Building materials giant CRH is set to publish its results for the first quarter of the year on Friday. 2023 was described as a “record year” for the company, with both revenues and earnings rising last year.

CRH also ceased trading on the Euronext exchange in Dublin last year, moving to the New York Stock Exchange in September.

Irish Residential Properties (Ires) Reit, whose new CEO is Eddie Byrne, will also hold its annual general meeting (AGM) on Friday.

The company is currently working on a strategic review of the business.

In a statement in January, the board announced that a review would take place to consider a “full range of strategic options” to maximise value for shareholders.

These include consolidation, mergers, a review of the company as a listed Reit, the sale of the entire issued capital of the company and the sale of assets and returning value to shareholders.

Last month, it said an accelerated sale of the company’s portfolio would prove “challenging” in the short-term due to current market conditions.