Investing.com - In the week ahead, market players will be focusing on the outcome of Sunday's meeting of top oil producers in Doha to discuss an output freeze aimed at shoring up oil prices.
Earnings will drive markets with reports expected from many blue-ship stocks while the U.S. is to release housing market data.
The European Central Bank will hold its interest rate decision on Thursday and the euro zone is to release data on private sector activity on Friday.
Ahead of the coming week, Investing.com has compiled a list of the five biggest events on the economic calendar that are most likely to affect the markets.
1. Doha Oil Freeze Talks
Talks in Doha between some of the world’s major oil producers are expected to result in a draft accord on freezing output in a bid to stabilize the global market.
Saudi Arabia and Russia have approved a deal to freeze output at January levels until October 1 and other producers are expected to also do so.
Crude oil prices have rallied more than 30% since the proposed freeze was first put forward in February.
But analysts have cautioned that freezing production near current levels is unlikely to reduce the global supply glut.
2. Earnings
A slew of companies are to report results, including Goldman Sachs Group (NYSE:GS), Alphabet, Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT), Coca-Cola, Visa, and General Electric (NYSE:GE).
Analysts expect Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS)'s first-quarter profit to have plunged in what is widely being considered the worst start to the year for the banking sector since the global financial crisis.
Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) will kick off the earnings season for large U.S. drug makers.
3. U.S. housing data
The U.S. is to release housing sector data with reports on housing starts and building permits on Tuesday and data on existing home sales on Wednesday.
Housing starts are expected to have dropped to an annual pace of 1.170 million units in March from 1.178 million units in February.
Building permits are likely to have increased to a 1.2 million-unit rate last month.
Existing home sales are expected to have rebounded by 3.5% in March after dropping 7.1% in February.
4. ECB rate announcement
The ECB is to hold its next monetary policy meeting on Thursday, at which no further policy changes are expected.
Last month the bank unveiled a raft of new measures, including interest rate cuts, additional monthly bond purchases and more cheap loans to banks.
5. Euro zone PMIs
Markit is to publish its flash purchasing managers' index for the euro zone on Friday, which will indicate how the bloc's private sector has performed in April.
The data is expected to show that growth remained subdued but attention will be on the output price index for signs of inflationary pressure.
Stay up-to-date on all of this week's economic events by visiting: http://www.investing.com/economic-calendar/