The main events of Thursday!

On Thursday, February 21, the day is saturated with data, thanks to the publication of business activity (PMI). In addition, you should pay attention to an employment data in Australia, the publication of the ECB protocol and durable orders in the United States.

At 02:30 – employment report in Australia will be released:
– Employment change (Jan), forecast 15.2K, previous value 21.6K.
– Full employment change (Jan),  previous value  -3.0K.
– Unemployment rate (January), forecast  5.0%, previous value 5.0%.

At 09:00 – German consumer price index (CPI) of Germany (m/m) (January) will be announced, forecast -0.8%, previous value -0.8%.

At 10:30 – release data on business activity in Germany:
– German manufacturing activity index (PMI) (Feb), forecast 49.7, previous value 49.7.
– German index of business activity in the services sector (Feb), forecast 52.9,  previous value 53.0.

At 11:00 – publish data on business activity in the euro area:
– Manufacturing PMI (Feb), forecast 50.3, previous 50.5.
– Markit Composite Business Activity Index (PMI) (Feb), forecast 51.1, previous value 51.0.
– Index of business activity in the services sector (Feb),  forecast  51.4, previous value 51.2.

At 14:30 – the ECB monetary policy meeting minutes will be published.

At 15:30 – US data will be released:
– Non-defense capital goods shipments (excluding aircraft) (m/m),  forecast  0.0%,  previous value -0.2%.
– Core durable goods orders  (m/m) (December),  forecast  0.3%, previous value  -0.4%.
– Durable goods orders (m/m) (December), forecast  1.5%,  previous value 0.7%.
– Initial jobless claims, forecast 229K,  previous value  239K.
– Philadelphia Fed Employment index index of production activity (Feb),  forecast  15.6,  previous value  17.0.
– Philadelphia Fed Employment index (Feb),  previous value  9.6.

Also at 13:30 – wholesale sales (m/m) (December) in Canada will be published, forecast -0.1%,  previous value -1.0%.

At 16:45 – release data on business activity in the United States:
– Index of business activity in the manufacturing sector (PMI) (Feb),  forecast 54.9, previous value  54.9.
– Markit Composite Business Activity Index (PMI) (Feb), forecast 55.1, previous value 54.4.
– Index of business activity (PMI) in the services sector (Feb), forecast 54.4, previous value 54.2.

At 17:00 –  a report on sales of real estate in the United States will be published:
– Existing home sales (Jan), forecast of 5.01M, previous value  4.99M.
– Existing home sales (m/m) (January),  forecast 0.8%,  previous value -6.4%.

At 18:00 – data on US oil inventories will be released:
– Crude oil inventories, forecast 3.100M,  previous value  3.633M.
– Cushing (Oklahoma) crude oil inventories, previous value -1.016M.

At 19:35 – the speech of the Bank of Canada Governor Poloz will take place.

Hanzenko Anton