Looking Ahead: March 4 through March 8, 2013

U.S. sequestration and an Italian election didn't rattle the international markets which were buoyed by comments from ECB President Mario Draghi as well as Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke. Economic data were mixed to disappointing in Japan, Europe and the UK. This week brings five major central bank meetings — Reserve Bank of Australia, Banks of Japan, Canada and England and the European Central Bank. Canada and the U.S. will release their employment reports while Australia’s fourth quarter growth data are expected. Global service sector PMIs — the counterparts of those for manufacturing — will provide a snap shot of what is by far the largest part of the global economy.