Looking Ahead: October 1 through October 5, 2012

Investors kept their eyes on the situation in Spain. Economic data were mixed globally. Four central banks are on tap during the first week of October. The Reserve Bank of Australia announces on Tuesday followed by the Bank of England and the European Central Bank on Thursday and the Bank of Japan, Friday. A plethora of purchasing managers’ indexes for September will be released globally. Going into the fourth quarter, investors are looking ahead to see whether bond buying programs announced by the European Central Bank and the U.S. Federal Reserve will be reflected in improving economic data. Mainland Chinese markets will be closed for week-long holidays from Oct. 1 to Oct. 7, while the Hong Kong market will remain closed on Monday and Tuesday.