MARKETS AWAIT ECB ACTION - The European Central Bank is expected to announce moves to help ease the euro zone debt crisis later today.
The markets gave the euro and the bond prices some breathing space yesterday in advance of whatever president Jean-Claude Trichet might say today.
KBC Bank economist Austin Hughes said comments from Mr Trichet hinted that action would be taken, but the question was whether the bank would do enough. The economist said some members of the ECB did not believe that buying bonds worked, following similar actions in the UK and US.
Mr Hughes also said there was no question of a rise in interest rates until at least late next year, and possibly 2012.
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NOVEMBER KEY MONTH FOR TAX TAKE - The Department of Finance will publish Exchequer figures for November later this afternoon. The chief executive of the Irish Tax Institute Mark Redmond said this set of figures was critical, as 15% of the overall tax yield was collected in November.
He said the target for total tax from this afternoon's figures was €29 billion, with €1.7 billion in income tax in the month. He said the key to this was the amount collected from the self-employed sector.
Mr Redmond said the indications were that the level of tax returns had held up. He said tax receipts had been on target so far
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CURRENCIES - The euro is trading at $1.3135 and 84.08p sterling.
