MNI European Morning Briefing

     LONDON (MNI) - Monday's early session will likely be dominated by the

fall-out from the Italian elections and the finalising of the German coalition

deal.

     However, there is plenty of data on the calendar in the early part of the

session, dominated by the services PMI data.

     The European calendar gets underway at 0815GMT, with the publication of the

February final Spanish Markit services PMI data. The Italian data will be

published at 0845GMT, with the French data expected at 0850GMT, German data at

0855GMT and the eurozone data -- including the composite release -- at 0900GMT.

     The latest German VDMA machine orders data is also set for release at

0900GMT.

     In the UK, at 0930GMT, the February services PMI data will be published.

Analysts see the services PMI Index is rising to 53.5, up 0.5 from its January

print of 53.0, which was the lowest level for 16 months. A pick-up of 0.5 points

would suggest a modest, not significant, recovery in a sector which is crucial

to the UK's aggregate production.

     Back on the Continent, EMU retail sales data will be published at 1000GMT.

     Across the Atlantic, the US final February Markit Services Index will be

published at 1445GMT, followed by the ISM Non-Manufacturing Index at 1500GMT.

     Bundesbank Board member Andreas Dombret speaks at the IIB Annual Washington

Conference, in Washington D.C, from 1530GMT. At, 1730, ECB GC member Jens

Weidmann speaks at the Opening of the exhibition "Banks, Stages...", in

Frankfurt.

     Federal Reserve Vice Chairman Randal Quarles discusses foreign bank

regulation at the "Institute of International Bankers Annual Washington

Conference" in Washington, DC, with audience Q&A, starting at 1830GMT.

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