ECONOMIC DIARY MAY 15 - 19

THIS WEEK investors’ attention will be the release of inflation, retail sales, manufacturing production, new motor vehicle sales and housing price data of various developed economies. Russia, Japan and the EU will announce their GDP economic growth rate for Q1. France, Australia and the UK publish their unemployment figures. Domestically StatsSA will release the March retail sales data this Wednesday.

Domestically

Wednesday, May 17: StatsSA will release the retail sales data for March.

Globally

Today: China: Industrial production – April; Greece: GDP economic growth – Q1; US: NAHB Housing market index – May.

Tomorrow: France: Inflation rate – April; UK: Inflation rate, PPI and Retail sales – April; Germany: Economic sentiment index – May; EU: GDP growth rate – Q2; EU: Balance of trade – March.

Wednesday, May 17: Australia: Consumer confidence index – May; UK: Unemployment rate: March; EU: Inflation rate – April; Russia: GDP economic growth – Q1: US: Crude oil stocks – May/12.

Thursday, May 18: Japan: GDP economic growth – Q1; Australia: Unemployment rate – April; France: Unemployment rate – Q1; UK: Retail sales – April; US: Natural gas stocks – May/12-15; Russia: Industrial production – April.

Friday, May 19: Germany: PPI – April; EU: Current account – March; Canada: Inflation rate – April and Retail sales – March; EU: Consumer confidence index – May.