MNI European Morning Briefing

     LONDON (MNI) - Wednesday sees a busier calendar than in recent days,

dominated by central bank speakers.

     The European economic docket kicks off at 0700GMT with European ACEA Car

Registrations.

     At 0800GMT ECB Governing Council member Ewald Nowotny will give a speech at

Euromoney CEE Forum 2018, in Vienna.

     Next up is Eurozone HICP data at 1000GMT, alongside this release Eurozone

Construction Production figures will be published.

     Also at 1000GMT Bundesbank Board member Joachim Wuermeling delivers speech

at the New Year opening of the Deutsche Bank head office in Saxony and

Thuringia, in Leipzig, Germany. 

     At 1145GMT BOE MPC member Michael Saunders will give a speech at the Launch

of Financial Intermediary and Broker Association in London.

     Across the Atlantic the first release of the day is MBA Weekly Applications

Index at 1200GMT.

     Also at 1200GMT in UK parliament are weekly questions to the Prime

Minister.

     The US New York Fed Business Leaders Survey will be released at 1330GMT.

     At 1355GMT the US Redbook Retail Sales Index will be published.

     US Industrial Production figures will hit the wires at 1415GMT. Industrial

production is expected to rise by 0.5% in December after a 0.2% gain in the

previous month. Factory payrolls rose by 25,000 in December, while auto

production jobs rose by 1,000. However, the factory workweek fell to 40.8 hours

from 40.9 hours in November. The ISM production index rose to 65.8 in the

current month from 63.9 in the previous month. 

     Several releases on the docket for 1500GMT. The Bank of Canada will

announce their interest rate decision, the US NAHB Home Builder Index is

published and the US Senate Banking Committee is to vote on Jerome Powell's

nomination to serve as the Federal Reserve Chairman and Randall Quarles'

nomination to serve on the Federal Reserve Board of Governors.

     The Bank of Canada is likely to raise its policy interest rate 25 bps to

1.25% on Wednesday, according to an MNI survey of analysts, but they differ on

the pace and scope of tightening for the rest of 2018 and beyond.

     At 1615GMT Bank of Canada Governor Stephen Poloz and Senior Deputy Gov

Carolyn Wilkins hold a post rate announcement press conference at the National

Press Theatre, Ottawa.

     At 2000GMT Chicago Federal Reserve Bank President Charles Evans is to

participate in a moderated discussion at the "American Council of Life Insurers

Executive Roundtable" in Palm Beach, Florida, with audience and media Q&A.

     Dallas Federal Reserve Bank President Rob Kaplan to participate in a

moderated Q&A session at 2015GMT. The session is at the "American Council of

Life Insurers Executive Roundtable" in Palm Beach, Florida, with audience and

media Q&A.

     At 2100GMT US TICS data will be published.

     Rounding off the day at 2130GMT is an appearance from Cleveland Federal

Reserve Bank President Loretta Mester to discuss monetary policy communications

at the "Tangri Lecture at Rutgers University" in New Brunswick, New Jersey, with

audience and media Q&A.

--MNI London Bureau; tel: +44 203-586-2225; email: les.commons@marketnews.com