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Bank of Ireland will release its third-quarter trading results on Wednesday. The bank is expected to outline lending performance and costs after it increased the amount it had set aside to compensate customers for a motor finance mis-selling scandal in the UK last week. The European Central Bank (ECB) will hold its October policy meeting in Florence, Italy, with its press conference taking place on Thursday. Economists do not expect a change in interest rates, unlike the US where the Fed, led by Jerome Powell, is widely expected to lower its current benchmark rate of 4pc-4.25pc by another quarter percentage point when it decides on policy on Wednesday. It’s also a busy reporting week for US corporates. Five of the so-called ‘magnificent seven’ tech giants – Microsoft, Amazon Alphabet, Meta and Apple – publish quarterly results between Wednesday and Thursday. Other companies due to report results next week include drugmaker Eli Lilly, oil majors Exxon and Chevron and payment firms Visa and Mastercard With trade disruption still in focus there is anticipation of a meeting between US president Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping ahead of a November 1 deadline when the US is due to impose sweeping tariffs on the world’s number two economy, unless the sides have agreed trade terms. Back home, the Irish Family Business Awards take place on Thursday at The Johnstown Estate, Enfield. The Heritage Ireland 2030 Summit is on Wednesday in Trinity College Dublin. The conference brings together policymakers and local authorities to discuss heritage-led urban renewal and its impact on tourism and the reuse of commercial property. Lastly, tourism and hospitality businesses are expected to benefit from the extended Halloween period, with the Púca Festival in Meath, Dublin’s Bram Stoker festival and the Lú Festival of Light in Drogheda among attractions drawing visitors through the mid-term break
