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In the UK this morning, Marks & Spencer reports its half-year results.
M&S is one of the UK’s most iconic high street names. However, it has been struggling badly in recent years. In September, the group was demoted to the FTSE 250 from the FTSE 100. Analysts expect a fall in both sales and profits. The company is in desperate need of a turnaround, and that’s what investors will be focusing on today.
Elsewhere this morning, there’s a raft of data due from across the eurozone.
We have German factory orders for September, which will be watched closely. Last time, orders were down by nearly 7% year on year. Economists expect a similar reading this time round. This is mostly down to a global manufacturing slowdown, combined with uncertainty over trade wars.
We’ll also be getting the latest reading for retail sales across the eurozone as a whole. Readings already received from individual countries, including France, Spain and Germany, suggest that eurozone retailers suffered a fairly weak September.