Key Events in 2023 to Look Out For February 6, 2023
In 2022, the Russia-Ukraine war caused prices to spiral globally, causing inflation in the US to reach a 41-year-high in June 2022. With sky high inflation, the Federal Reserve started tightening its monetary policies and did a total of 7 rate hikes. Fortunately, inflation started easing towards the end of the year.
Here we are at the start of 2023. China has bid farewell to having zero cases and started easing its COVID-19 restrictions. Hopefully, the global economy can be lifted in the coming year with China’s re-opening.
These are some key events in 2023 that investors should take note of when making investment decisions.
| Month | Country | Event | Description |
| January | Global | World Economic Forum | – The annual World Economic Forum was held from 16-20 January 2023 at Davos, Switzerland1. – The theme for the forum was “Cooperation in a Fragmented World”. |
| United States | FOMC meeting | – The first Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting for 2023 is scheduled for 31 January 2023 – 1 February 20232. – Expectation: 25 basis point rate hike3. |
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| Fourth Quarter Earnings Season | – Earnings Season happen every quarter where publicly-listed stocks release their earnings. – This is one of the periods where volatility of stocks is the highest. – Fourth Quarter Earnings Season runs from 15 January 2023 to 28 February 2023. |
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| February | Europe/United Kingdom | ECB Monetary Policy Meeting | The European Central Bank (ECB) will hold its first monetary policy meeting for the year on 2 February 20234. |
| Singapore | Budget 2023 | – Singapore will release its 2023 Budget on 14 February 20235. – This year’s budget will likely revolve around the issues of increased cost of living. – Leading up to the release of Budget 2023, the Phillip Securities Research team will provide weekly updates on the market here. |
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| March | United States | FOMC meeting | The FOMC meeting will be held over 21 to 22 March 2023. |
| First Quarter Earnings Season | The First Quarter Earnings Season will run from 15 April 2023 to 31 May 2023. | ||
| FedEx (FDX.US) Q3 FY23 Earnings Call | – FDX.US will release its third quarter results on 16 March 20236. – The shipping industry shifts with the strength of the economy. Since FDX.US is part of the shipping industry, the performance of FDX.US will reflect how well the economy is performing. Hence, the FDX.US performance will be closely followed. |
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| Europe/United Kingdom | ECB Monetary Policy Meeting | An ECB monetary policy meeting has been scheduled for 16 March 2023. | |
| May | United States | FOMC meeting | The FOMC meeting will be held from 2 to 3 May 2023. |
| Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.B.US) meeting | – The BRK.B.US 2023 Annual Meeting will be held on 6 May 20237. – BRK.B is a conglomerate founded by renowned investor Warren Buffet. The annual meeting presents a great avenue for investors to understand Buffet’s outlook on the economy. |
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| Europe/United Kingdom | ECB Monetary Policy Meeting | An ECB monetary policy meeting has been scheduled for 4 May 2023. | |
| Thailand | 2023 Thai General Election | – Thailand will be holding its General Election on 7 May 2023. – The House of Representatives’ four-year term expires in March 20238. |
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| June | Global | OPEC+ Meeting | – The next OPEC+ meeting is scheduled for 4 June 2023. – Based on the previous meeting, the OPEC+ committee has decided to stick to its plan, reducing output by 2 million barrels per day. |
| United States | FOMC meeting | The FOMC meeting will be held over 13 to 14 June 2023. | |
| Europe/United Kingdom | ECB Monetary Policy Meeting | An ECB monetary policy meeting has been scheduled for 15 June 2023. | |
| Turkey | 2023 Turkish Presidential Election | – Turkey will be holding its Presidential Election on 18 June 20239. – The current Turkish President will be running for his final term. |
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| 2023 Turkish Parliamentary Election | Turkey will be holding its parliamentary election alongside the Presidential Election on 18 June 2023. | ||
| July | United States | FOMC meeting | The FOMC meeting will be held over 25 to 26 July 2023. |
| Second Quarter Earnings Season | The Second Quarter Earnings Season will run from 15 July 2023 to 31 August 2023. | ||
| Europe/United Kingdom | ECB Monetary Policy Meeting | An ECB monetary policy meeting has been scheduled for 27 July 2023. | |
| September | Global | G20 Summit | – The 18th G20 Summit is scheduled for 9 to 10 September 202310. – The Summit will be held in New Delhi, India and will be a culmination of all G20 processes and meetings held throughout the year. |
| 19th Asian Games 2022 | – The 19th Asian Games is scheduled for 23 September 2023 to 8 October 2023, in Hangzhou, China11. – The event was postponed due to rising COVID-19 cases back in 2022. |
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| UN General Assembly | The 78th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA 78) is scheduled for 12 to 30 September 2023, in New York, US12. | ||
| Apple iPhone 15 release | – The newest iPhone series, the iPhone 15, will likely be released in September 2023, as is customary with Apple. – Investors all over the world pay close attention to this release because it enables them to assess if the most valuable firm in the world can keep introducing ground-breaking technologies. |
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| United States | FOMC meeting | The FOMC meeting will be held over 19 to 20 September 2023. | |
| Europe/United Kingdom | ECB Monetary Policy Meeting | An ECB monetary policy meeting has been scheduled for 14 September 2023. | |
| Singapore | Presidential Election | The Presidential election will be held in 2023 as the current president, Halimah Yacob’s term is nearing its end. The 2023 Singaporean presidential election is scheduled to be held no later than 13 September 202313 | |
| October | United States | FOMC meeting | The FOMC meeting will be held over 31 October 2023 to 1 November 2023. |
| Third Quarter Earnings Season | The Third Quarter Earnings Season will run from 15 October 2023 to 30 November 2023. | ||
| Europe/United Kingdom | ECB Monetary Policy Meeting | An ECB monetary policy meeting has been scheduled for 26 October 2023. | |
| November | Global | Cyber Monday | – Cyber Monday is on 27 November 2023. – Sales during this time frame will act as an indicator of consumer sentiment. – Stocks in the retail industry profit from strong sales during this time. |
| Singles Day | – Singles Day is on 11 November 2023. – Singles Day was first initiated by Alibaba before it was adopted globally14. – Great 11.11 sales translate to strong consumer growth and is a sign of consumer confidence. |
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| UN Climate Change Conference | The 28th United Nations Climate Change Conference (UNFCCC COP27) is scheduled for 30 November 2023 to 12 December 202315. | ||
| December | United States | FOMC meeting | The final FOMC meeting will be held over 12 to 13 December 2023. |
| Europe/United Kingdom | ECB Monetary Policy Meeting | The final ECB monetary policy meeting has been scheduled for 26 December 2023. |
Soft landing?
A soft landing refers to inflation numbers being brought down without entering into a recession.
Economists worldwide are split on the possibility of a soft landing as the Fed’s tool to bring down inflation comes with uncertainties as the desired effect take months to achieve. Furthermore, external factors like the Russia-Ukraine war are not within the central bank’s control. Thus, predicting where the economy is heading with accuracy will be difficult.
The attention in 2023 will also be on how the Russian war will play out as further escalation can affect the energy market drastically.
Reference:
- [1] World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2023, Davos
- [2] The Fed – Meeting calendars and information – Federal Reserve Board
- [3] What To Expect From The Fed’s First Meeting Of 2023 – Forbes.” 19 Dec. 2022
- [4] Schedules for the meetings of the Governing Council and General ….
- [5] DPM Wong says Budget 2023 on Feb 14 is his ‘Valentine’s Day ….” 3 Jan. 2023
- [6] Upcoming events – Investor Relations | FedEx.
- [7] Shareholder Meeting Information – BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY INC..
- [8] Thailand’s election timeline explained | Thai PBS World
- [9] “Elections to Watch in 2023 – Foreign Policy.” 1 Jan. 2023
- [10] New Delhi Summit – G20.org
- [11] The 19th Asian Games Hangzhou 2022
- [12] Event: 78th Session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA 78)
- [13] Presidential Elections Act 1991 – Singapore Statutes Online
- [14] 11.11 sales 2022: What is Singles’ Day and how is it celebrated?
- [15] Event: 2023 UN Climate Change Conference (UNFCCC COP 28)
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About the author
Chan Zi Quan
Dealer
Zi Quan is a US Equity Dealer in the Global Markets Team and specializes in the US and Canadian markets. He is an avid crypto fan and is adept in macro analysis.
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