Americans are going to the polls

Hello and welcome to work week.

On Tuesday, Americans will finally end months of speculation when they go to the polls. Financial Times journalists have carefully documented every twist and turn of this marathon election cycle. Nevertheless, the polls remained completely deadlocked.

I will not weigh in on the debate over whether this is the most consequential American election ever. But what is certainly true is that NATO member states, Ukraine, China, the Middle East and Russia will all have their eyes on the US as the results emerge. Expect messages from around the world as the world processes the state of affairs. The FT's world-class data journalism team will also be working around the clock to bring you a forensic breakdown of the figures as the count progresses on Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning.

In keeping with the election, the Federal Reserve's interest rate meeting will take place on Thursday this week. Economists are betting on a quarter-point cut as the US nears its 2 percent inflation target. But the shadow of the election is looming. The Fed recognizes that a change in policy by the White House on tariffs, for example, risks jeopardizing progress in containing inflation if it fails to act.

Investors will be watching the central bank closely. Depending on who wins Tuesday's vote, they may have to revise their forecasts about the pace and size of future rate cuts.

Although the US news will dwarf that from the UK, the Bank of England is due to meet on Thursday. Markets have digested last week's budget and although taxes have been raised to record levels, the path of monetary policy is unlikely to change too much, according to economic commentator Chris Giles. Analysts predict a quarter point cut in the key interest rate.

There are plenty of company reports on the horizon. Automobile manufacturer BMW, Toyota And Nissan is set to report earnings this week, with investors closely watching the impact of stagnant electric vehicle sales on the sector. Manufacturer of anti-obesity drugs Novo NordiskEarnings are also highly anticipated as analysts weigh the impact of the company's intensifying competition.

One more thing. . .

Last month, a previously undiscovered Chopin waltz was found in a library vault in New York. I plan on dusting off my keyboard and trying to play it this week. I hear countless stories of adults who played musical instruments as children, but then stopped when school, work, or parenthood got in the way. This touching piece from the FT archives is an encouraging reminder of the benefits of picking up your instrument again – and the life lessons you can learn from it.

What are your priorities for the next seven days? Email me at [email protected] or hit reply if you're reading this in your inbox.

Important economic and company reports

Here's a more complete list of corporate reports and economic data to expect this week.

Monday

• EU: October HCOB manufacturing PMI data released

• Results: BioNTech Q3, Ryanair Holdings HY

Tuesday

• Australia: Reserve Bank of Australia Interest rate decision

• China: Caixin Services PMI data for October

• Results: Adecco Group Q3, Asos FY, Associated British Foods annual results, Bouygues Q3, Deutsche Post (DHL Group) Q3, Hugo Boss Q3, Nintendo Q2 2025, Ørsted Q3, Saudi Aramco Q3, Schaeffler Q3, Thomson Reuters Q3, Zalando Q3

Wednesday

• Results: BMW Q3, Commerzbank Q3, CVS Health Q3, Gilead Sciences Q3, Henkel AG & Co Q3, Hensoldt Q3, JFE Holdings HY, Marks and Spencer HY, Novo Nordisk Q3, Pandora Q3, puma Q3, Qualcomm Q4, Toyota Q2

Thursday

• UNITED KINGDOM: Bank of England Interest rate decision

• US: Federal Reserve Interest rate decision

• EU: Retail sales for September published

• Results: Air France-KLM Q3, Banca Generali Q3, BT HY, DBS Q3, Euronav Q3, Halliburton Q3, Hershey Q3, Moderna Q3, Nippon Steel Q2, Nissan Q2, Rheinmetall AG Q3, Sainsbury's HY, Stat power Q3, Wizz Air HY, WK Kellogg Q3

Friday

• USA: Consumer sentiment index for Michigan for November

• Canada: Unemployment rate figures for October

• Results: IAG Q3, Sony Group Corp Q2 2025

World events

Finally, here is an overview of other events and milestones this week.

Monday

• South Korea: South Korean and EU officials will hold their first strategic dialogue in Seoul to discuss Russia's use of North Korean troops

• United Arab Emirates: The annual energy industry event ADIPEC begins with the presence of the Secretary General of OPEC and executives from leading oil and gas companies

• China: The Standing Committee of the National People's Congress will begin its week-long meeting where it is expected to issue additional debt to revive the country's flagging economy

Tuesday

• USA: presidential election

• EU: Finance ministers meet in Brussels to discuss funding for Ukraine, VAT legislation, the Recovery and Resilience Facility and climate

• Great Britain: Guy Fawkes Day

Wednesday

Thursday

• EU: Philip Lane, Isabel Schnabel and Frank Elderson from the ECB give speeches; European political community meets in Budapest

• USA: Federal Open Market Committee holds press conference

Friday

Saturday

Sunday