MNI European Morning Briefing

     LONDON (MNI) - Tuesday throws up a full calendar on both sides of the

Atlantic, with consumer confidence data likely to be an early theme, before new

Fed chair Jerome Powell takes centre stage in the afternoon.

     The European calendar kicks off at 0745GMT, with the publication of the

French consumer sentiment data.

     At 0745GMT, the Spanish preliminary February inflation data will be

released.

     ECB Executive Board member Yves Mersch will deliver a keynote address at

the 2nd Annual Conference on "FinTech and Digital Innovation: Regulation at the

European level and beyond" organised by Afore Consulting, in Brussels, starting

at 0805GMT.

     At 0900GMT, the EMU M3 money supply will be published, along with the

Italian ISTAT business and consumer confidence data.

     Further EMU data will be published at 1000GMT, when the Economic Sentiment

Indicator is published, along with the Business Climate Indicator and consumer

confidence data.

     ECB Gov. Council member Jens Weidmann and Buba Board member Carl-Ludwig

Thiele participate in a press conference "Publication of the Financial

Statements 2017", in Frankfurt from 100GMT. Buba Board member Joachim Wuermeling

participates in discussion at the 2nd Annual Conference on FinTech and Digital

Innovation, in Brussels at 1030GMT.

     German state February inflation will be released throughout Tuesday

morning, with the Federal pan-German data due at 1300GMT.

     Across the Atlantic, the US calendar kicks off at 1330GMT, with the

publication of the durable goods data and the advance business inventories

release.

     Durable goods orders are expected to fall by 2.5% in January, reversing the

2.8% gain in December. Boeing orders plunged to 28 from 265 in December,

suggesting nondefense aircraft orders could pull back after solid gains in the

previous two months. Orders excluding transportation are expected to post a 0.2%

increase after a 0.7% gain in December, showing little underlying movement.

     Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell's semi-annual monetary policy statement

to be released at 1330GMT, before he appears in front of the House Financial

Services Committee at 1500GMT.

     The US Redbook Retail Sales Index will be published at 1355GMT, before the

FHFA Home Price Index and the S&P Case-Shiller Home Price Index both get

released at 1400GMT.

     The US Richmond Fed Survey and the Conference Board Consumer Confidence

data are all set for release at 1500GMT.

     The index of consumer confidence is expected rise further to a reading of

126.3 in February after a rebound in January to 125.4, as rebounding stock

prices and the recently-passed tax cuts lifted the spirits of consumers. The

Michigan Sentiment Index rose to 99.9 in early-February from 95.7 in January,

despite the recent stock market gyrations.

     The Dallas Fed Services Survey will be published at 1530GMT. Late US data

will see the latest US farm prices data published at 2000GMT.

     The Canadian government will present the 2018 Budget at 2100GMT.

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