Economic calendar

Current Account is the sum of the balance of trade (exports minus imports of goods and services), net factor income (such as interest and dividends) and net transfer payments (such as foreign aid).

In Australia, Home Loans record the value of new loans granted for owner-occupied homes. A housing unit is said to be owner-occupied if the owner or co-owner lives in the unit. It is a leading indicator of demand in the housing market.

Germany has run regular trade surpluses since 1952, primarily due to strong exports of vehicles and other machinery. The largest trade surpluses are recorded with the US, France, the UK, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, Sweden, Poland, and Spain; while the biggest trade deficits were recorded with China, Ireland, Norway, Vietnam, Russia, Bangladesh, the Netherlands, Japan, Malaysia and South Africa.

Germany is the third largest exporter in the world, with exports accounting for almost half of its economic output. Germany's main exports are: motor vehicles, trailers and semi-trailers (15 percent of total exports); machinery and equipment (14 percent); chemicals and chemical products (10 percent); computer, electronic and optical products (9 percent); basic pharmaceutical products and pharmaceutical preparations (7 percent); electrical equipment (7 percent); basic metals (5 percent); food products (4 percent); rubber and plastic products (4 percent); fabricated metal products, except machinery and equipment (3 percent) and other transport equipment (3 percent). Main export partners are: the US (9 percent of the total exports), China (8 percent), France and the Netherlands (7 percent each), Poland (6 percent), Italy, Austria and the United Kingdom (5 percent each), Switzerland and Belgium (4 percent each), Czech Republic and Spain (3 percent each).

In Brazil, interest rate decisions are taken by The Central Bank of Brazil's Monetary Policy Committee (COPOM). The official interest rate is the Special System of Clearance and Custody rate (SELIC) which is the overnight lending rate.

Inflation Rate MoM measures month over month change in the price of goods and services.

The BRC-KPMG Retail Sales Monitor measures changes in the actual value of retail sales from a sample of retailers. The Monitor measures the value of spending and hence does not adjust for price changes. If prices are rising, sales volumes will increase by less than sales values. In times of price deflation, sales volumes will increase by more than sales values. Retailers report the value of their sales and sales in the equivalent week a year ago. These figures are reported both in total and on a ‘like-for-like’ basis. The percentage increase in the value of sales on a ‘like-for-like’ basis removes the effect of the expansion of retail floor space by the retailers concerned on their sales total. Due to the sample being biased towards large retailers, the ‘like-for-like’ increase usually provides a more accurate guide to general spending patterns, though it will be biased downwards as an estimate of the growth rate for retail as a whole.