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Expect a reasonably quiet week on Wall Street, bookended by the 9/11 anniversary on Monday and key inflation reports on Friday. If inflation exceeds expectations, another round of debate will surely ensue over whether the Federal Reserve should raise interest rates to curb it.
Monday, September 11:
ANNIVERSARY OF 9/11: This will be a day for remembrance on Wall Street, to mark the fifth anniversary of the terrorist attacks that toppled the World Trade Center buildings and shuttered Wall Street for about a week. Financial markets will be open.
EARNINGS TO WATCH: Campbell Soup
Tuesday, September 12:
TRADE BALANCE: The Commerce Department will reveal its latest report on the state of the nation's trade balance.
EARNINGS TO WATCH: Best Buy, Goldman Sachs, and Kroger
Wednesday, September 13:
EARNINGS TO WATCH: Lehman Brothers
Thursday, September 14:
RETAIL SALES: The Commerce Department will reflect consumers' financial health when it reports on August retail and food service sales.
EARNINGS TO WATCH: Adobe Systems, Bear Stearns, and Pier 1 Imports
Friday, September 15:
INFLATION: Now that the economy is slowing down, is inflation subsiding? The Labor Department will report on trends in retail prices when it releases the August results of the closely followed consumer price index.
CAPACITY UTILIZATION: The Federal Reserve Board will release its latest findings on capacity utilization, a measure of how much slack there is in the manufacturing sector. The less slack there is, the more likely it is that inflation will rear its ugly head.
CONSUMER CONFIDENCE: This morning, the University of Michigan will release its findings on the state of consumer confidence this month.
