A big day for announcements for China, UK and US.

China today is releasing its quarterly GDP figures, which will be most keenly watched. They are also releasing Industrial Production, Fixed Asset Investment and Retail Sales figures. China’s National Bureau of Statistics are also holding a press conference later today. GDP figures are of up-most importance as they give traders an indication of the growth of the Chinese economy, which has been somewhat resilient in a world of depressed growth. Industrial Production is also quite important as the Industrial sector is the main driver of the Chinese Economy. Retail Sales is a reflection of consumer confidence in the world’s second largest economy.

The UK are announcing a few figures later tonight. They are: Average Earnings Index, Claimant Count Change and also the Unemployment Rate. The Claimant Count is probably the most important figure as it shows the change in the amount of people claiming unemployment benefits from the previous month. This gives us an indication of the relative strength of the labour market in the UK, as does the Unemployment Rate.  The Average Earnings is important as it reflects wage growth within the UK. MPC (Monetary Policy Committee) Member Andy Haldane is also giving a speech at the Cass Business School in London early tomorrow morning.

Later tonight and into tomorrow morning, the US are releasing some important data including: Building Permits, Housing Starts, Crude Oil Inventories and their Beige Book. Building Permits and Housing Starts are important as they reflection the health of the housing industry. Crude Oil data is important as they have the ability to affect world oil prices. The Beige Book holds significance as it is a compilation of information gathered from the 12 state Fed Reserve banks, indicating the economic conditions of their respective districts. The US Fed Reserve looks at this information (along with other info) to help determine monetary policy.

Elsewhere, Canada is announcing their official interest rate, along with their Monetary Policy Statement.