Reporting season

       SOME large cap companies including Dialog Group Bhd and MISC Bhd will be reporting their results this week.

       Dialog is expected to announce its financial results tomorrow and MISC, on Thursday. Heineken Malaysia Bhd and Carlsberg Brewery Malaysia Bhd will be releasing their results on Wednesday and Thursday, respectively.

       Meanwhile, the Statistics Department is expected to release the external trade statistics for January 2022 on Friday.

       Singapore GDP, budget

       SINGAPORE will be releasing the final print for the fourth quarter (Q4) 2021 gross domestic product (GDP) on Thursday.

       Bloomberg median estimates are for improved reading of 2.8% quarter-on-quarter (q-o-q) seasonally adjusted annualised rate (SAAR), and 6.1% year-on-year (y-o-y) in Q4 from the advance estimate of 2.6% q-o-q SAAR, 5.9% y-o-y. Given the strong manufacturing performance at end-2021, UOB Global Economics & Markets Research has upgraded Q4 GDP growth to 6.2% y-o-y and full-year growth to 7.3% for 2021. Singapore’s Budget 2022 will be announced on Friday.

       China inflation

       CHINA is expected to announce its January 2022 consumer price index (CPI) and producer price index (PPI) on Wednesday.

       Bloomberg estimates CPI to expand 1% y-o-y, from 1.5% in December 2021 while PPI to grow 9.5% y-o-y from 10.3% in December 2021. IHS Markit said price pressures in the manufacturing sector eased, which was in line with the consensus view for PPI to fall to 9.4% from 10.3%.

       FOMC minutes

       THE market’s attention will be on the US Federal Reserve (Fed) with its release of the January 2021 Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) minutes.IHS Markit said the minutes would be scrutinised for details of the Fed’s tightening path.A hawkish tone by Fed chair Jerome Powell in his press conference, coupled with recent comments from Fed members had led to heightened speculation of a 50-basis point hike in March, which will be steeper than expected.