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Spread bets and CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 71% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading spread bets and CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how spread bets and CFDs work, and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.
Spread bets and CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 71% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading spread bets and CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how spread bets and CFDs work, and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.

Look ahead: Halifax; Barratt Developments; Walt Disney; Uber; PayPal

The UK property market swings into focus with the latest Halifax house price index and earnings from Barratt Developments amid signs that the UK has kept calm and avoided a recession.

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Walt Disney is expected to report a 0.7% increase in quarterly revenue. Watch out for boardroom action from the House of Mouse and updates on Disney+ in competitive markets like India. Plus, PayPal reports after recently unveiling plans to cut 9% of its global workforce this year.

(AI Video Summary)

In today's "Look ahead" to Wednesday 7 February, there will be a busy day in the world of trading. Lots of important information will be released, such as data about how well countries are doing economically and how companies are performing financially. Let's break it down into two categories: economic data and earnings reports.

Economic data

Germany will be sharing its industrial production numbers for December. This is important because it gives us an idea of how well Germany's factories are doing. The forecast is for a slight decrease in production. The UK will also be releasing the Halifax House Price Index. This is significant for the housing market because it tells us if house prices are going up or down. The forecast is for a small increase in prices.

The US is also releasing some important data. They will be sharing trade balance numbers and crude oil inventories. Trade balance numbers show us if a country is exporting more than it's importing or vice versa. The crude oil inventories give us an idea of how much oil the US has stored. Both of these things are important because they can affect oil prices, which have an impact on the global economy.

Earnings reports

Walt Disney is a company that many people are interested in hearing about. They are expected to share their performance for the first quarter. Investors will be looking for updates on their activities involving artificial intelligence (AI) and augmented reality (AR), like their magic bench project. Disney is also facing some boardroom challenges and investors are curious about what's going on.

Other companies like Uber, PayPal, and Willis Towers Watson will also be releasing their earnings reports. These reports will tell us how well they are doing financially, which can give us insights into different sectors of the economy.

This information has been prepared by IG, a trading name of IG Markets Limited. In addition to the disclaimer below, the material on this page does not contain a record of our trading prices, or an offer of, or solicitation for, a transaction in any financial instrument. IG accepts no responsibility for any use that may be made of these comments and for any consequences that result. No representation or warranty is given as to the accuracy or completeness of this information. Consequently any person acting on it does so entirely at their own risk. Any research provided does not have regard to the specific investment objectives, financial situation and needs of any specific person who may receive it. It has not been prepared in accordance with legal requirements designed to promote the independence of investment research and as such is considered to be a marketing communication. Although we are not specifically constrained from dealing ahead of our recommendations we do not seek to take advantage of them before they are provided to our clients. See full non-independent research disclaimer and quarterly summary.

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Prices above are subject to our website terms and agreements. Prices are indicative only. All shares prices are delayed by at least 15 mins.

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