Business Calendar: time for a Santa rally?

STORY: From a big moment for Credit Suisse, to hopes for a ‘Santa rally’ on stock markets, these are the business and finance stories to watch out for in the coming days.

Credit Suisse faces a day of reckoning when its rights issue closes on Thursday.

Shares in the troubled lender have hit new lows of late, and some think the banks underwriting the deal will be left with a chunk of unsold stock.

Equity markets will look for any sign of a so-called ‘Santa rally’.

Some investors think it’s time for gains amid signs that rates and inflation may have peaked.

Others are cheered by signs that China is easing its tough health-crisis curbs.

U.S. service sector data on Monday will offer an economic health check.

Any sign of rising input prices for business will dampen hopes that the Fed can ease back on the rate-hike pedal.

Some traders think the Reserve Bank of Australia just might leave its rates unchanged on Tuesday.

Inflation there unexpectedly saw a sharp slowing in October.

Economists still predict another hike, but some say December's could be the last for a while.