Week Ahead 18 March 2024

Central bank decisions from the Federal Reserve, Bank of England, Bank of Japan, and the Central Bank of Turkey, along with UK CPI data, are the key economic events this week.

The consensus forecast suggests that these central banks will all hold rates unchanged this week. Market observers will pay close attention to the post meeting statements and commentary for clues to future monetary policy adjustments. In the case of the Federal Reserve, the new summary of economic projections and dot plot will be the main focus for markets.

The UK's February CPI is forecast to slow to 3.5% y/y from 4.0% y/y in January. The anticipated decline in headline inflation will likely be due to slower gains in food, core goods, and services prices. Core CPI is also forecast to decline to 4.6% y/y from 5.1% y/y in January.

Download the Economic Calendar for 18-22 Mar