MNI Global Morning Briefing

     LONDON (MNI) - Three key releases to end the week are Germany final Q4 GDP

figures at 0700GMT, Euro Area final January HICP at 1000GMT and December Canada

retail sales at 1330GMT. Speeches end the week strong, with seven central bank

speakers on the Friday. 

     The Q4 reading from Germany is unexpected to change from its flash reading

of 0.0% q/q and 0.6% y/y, meaning the economy narrowly avoided a technical

recession. 

     ECB Governing Council member Ewald Nowotny is speaking in Brussels at

0900GMT.

     The y/y reading for January's HICP data is anticipated by the MNI median at

1.4%. The m/m reading is expected to come in at -1.1%. 

     Canada's retail sales reading in November was fairly weak at -0.9% m/m and

-0.6% excluding fuel. The MNI median does not predict weakness in sales abating

with the December figure expected at -0.5% m/m and -0.4% excluding fuel. 

     At 1515GMT, San Francisco Federal Reserve Bank President Mary Daly speaking

at the US Monetary Policy forum in New York. 

     ECB President Mario Draghi is speaking in Bologna, Italy at 1530GMT. 

     The Federal Reserve releases its semi-annual policy report to Congress at

1600GMT. This is ahead of Chairman Powell's testimony on the 26th February. 

     Vice Chairman of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors Richard Clarida is

speaking in New York at 1700GMT and 1830GMT. 

     Concluding the speeches and the signalling the end of the week at 1830GMT,

Philadelphia Federal Reserve Bank Chairman Patrick Harker speaks at the same New

York event as Richard Clarida on "The Future of the Federal Reserve's Balance

Sheet". 

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