INFLATION data due tomorrow, February 5, and results of a Monetary Board meeting on Thursday are expected to determine the stock market’s direction during a shortened trading week.

Online brokerage firm 2tradeasia.com said investors would take their cues from January inflation data — scheduled to be released even as the country celebrates the Chinese New Year holiday — that is expected to reinforce hopes the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ (BSP) policymaking body would keep key interest rates unchanged on February 7.