A quiet start to the week as far as announcements are concerned, but it is certainly not a time to be complacent.

In the early hours of tomorrow morning, Fed Chair, Janet Yellen, will be speaking at the University of Michigan. The UoM produces economic data that markets take note of when released. Any engagements that the Fed Chair attends is sure to be of interest to markets. With Donald Trump looking to implement tax cuts and infrastructure spending as his policy agenda takes shape, it will be important to know what role the Fed Reserve will play in the strengthening of the US economy. If Trump’s policies are implemented, it is likely to push up inflation, thereby meaning that the Fed is more likely to take a tighter monetary policy approach.

As announcements go, Japan is releasing Economy Watchers Sentiment, Europe is publishing its Sentix Investor Confidence & Italian Industrial Production, Canada is reporting Housing Starts data and finally, the US is releasing its Labor Market Conditions Index.

Away from announcements and speeches, it is vital that traders keep an eye on world events as they unfold. We are approaching some uncertain times with terrorist attacks and military action. Major events such as these can definitely have an impact on markets and add to volatility. Events such as these can also affect the confidence of markets due to uncertainty and people’s fears. While there may be a lot of political talk at the moment, it is worthy to note that world events do have an impact.