The week ahead

Last week was another strong one for US shares. The S&P 500 in the US posted its fourth consecutive weekly gain, with a rise of 0.4%.That sees it up 12.0% this year, 20.2% above than the October lows and at the highest levels since August. Looking ahead, this week is shaping up as a busy one. Three major central bank decisions are looming, with the Federal Reserve in the US set to be the main event. With a new set of projections due, it’ll be interesting to see how much support there is for further tightening and the views on the potential timing of rate cuts. A day before, we’ll get the latest inflation figures from the world’s biggest economy. This won’t necessarily impact the outcome of the Fed decision, but it could shift expectations for what to expect over the balance of this year.In New Zealand, the March quarter GDP report is due. After a negative result three months ago, we could’ve slipped into a mild recession or gone close to doing so.