Data on Europe’s Economy, Job Numbers and Janet Yellen’s Goodbye

Data on Europe’s Economy, Job Numbers and Janet Yellen’s Goodbye
The three As of tech — Apple, Amazon and Alphabet, the parent company of Google — are expected to provide more insight
on Thursday into how well devices like the iPhone, Amazon Echo and Google Home sold over the holiday quarter.
Here’s what to expect in the week ahead:
Official data being released Tuesday is expected to confirm
that the European economy continued to boom in the final three months of 2017, with no signs of a slowdown.
The Fed raised its benchmark rate at its last meeting, in December, and another rate increase is expected at its meeting in March.
Royal Dutch Shell, Europe’s largest oil company, is expected to report fourth quarter
2017 earnings on Thursday, followed by Exxon Mobil and Chevron on Friday.
If history is any guide, Fed officials will deliver tributes to Ms. Yellen at the meeting,
but the details won’t be shared with the public until the meeting transcripts are released in five years.
Mexico will auction 29 deepwater exploration blocks in the Gulf of Mexico to international
oil companies on Wednesday as part of its broad opening to private energy investment.