<span>STORY: From major U.S. earnings reports and inflation data to a key parliamentary vote in Japan, these are the stories to watch in business and finance in the coming week.</span><span>:: U.S. earnings and inflation data</span><span>U.S. third-quarter earnings pick up with results from Netflix on Tuesday and Tesla on Wednesday.</span><span>Procter & Gamble, Coca-Cola, IBM and aerospace and defense giant RTX all report as well. </span><span>Then comes a delayed U.S. inflation report – with September Consumer Price Index numbers out Friday.</span><span>That comes a few days ahead of the Federal Reserve’s October meeting, when it’s widely expected to cut rates.</span><span>:: U.S.-China trade tension</span><span>Tensions are flaring again between the U.S. and China, prompting tit-for-tat fees and a tightening on two-way supplies.</span><span>The back-and-forth could be key for markets in the coming week, with the expectation that U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping will meet later this month. </span><span>:: A big moment for Takaichi </span><span>Japanese markets await a parliamentary vote that may spur another leg up in a record stocks rally.</span><span>The Nikkei hit all-time highs after conservative Sanae Takaichi became leader of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party.</span><span>But the index took a hit and volatility surged after she lost the support of a longtime coalition partner.</span><span>Now the right-wing Japan Innovation Party has emerged as a possible savior.</span><span>:: Watching UK inflation data </span><span>Inflation data out of the United Kingdom on Wednesday could be pivotal.</span><span>With Britain’s fiscal hole widening over surging debt payments, the September CPI could fuel rate cut bets and offer some relief if the annualized rate comes below the Bank of England’s 4% forecast. </span><span>A higher-than-expected increase could keep the BoE cautious and Britain’s finances looking precarious.</span>
