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Wall Street turns its attention to the labor market this week, with a key report due out on worker productivity. But the big news will come at the end of the week, when the Labor Department will report on the job market's health.
Monday, October 30:
FED SPEAK: Jeffrey Lacker, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond and a dissenter on the Fed's recent decisions to hold short-term interest rates steady, is scheduled to deliver a monetary-policy speech in Baltimore.
EARNINGS TO WATCH: Humana, Simon Property Group, and Verizon
Tuesday, October 31:
CONSUMER CONFIDENCE: The Conference Board will release the latest results of its closely watched index of household sentiment.
EARNINGS TO WATCH: Archer Daniels Midland, Eastman Kodak, Hilton Hotels, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Molson Coors Brewing, Procter & Gamble, UAL Corp., and U.S. Steel
Wednesday, November 1:
AUTO SALES: A week after the Big Three automakers reported their quarterly earnings, GM, Ford, and DaimlerChrysler will reveal their October sales results.
MANUFACTURING INDEX: The Institute for Supply Management will release the latest results of its manufacturing index, which gauges the health of the factory sector.
FED SPEAK: Federal Reserve Board Chairman Ben Bernanke is scheduled to address the Opportunity Finance Network Conference in Washington, D.C.
EARNINGS TO WATCH: Cigna, Clorox, Conseco, Sunoco, and Time Warner
Thursday, November 2:
PRODUCTIVITY: A key force that keeps inflation at bay is rising productivity. This morning, the Labor Department will release a preliminary estimate of worker productivity in the third quarter.
FED SPEAK: Richard Fisher, president of the Dallas Fed, is scheduled to address the New York Association for Business Economics.
EARNINGS TO WATCH: Barrick Gold, Blockbuster, Computer Sciences Corp., CVS, Electronic Arts, International Paper, and WebMD
Friday, November 3:
JOBS REPORT: The Labor Department will release its much-anticipated October jobs report this morning. With consumers' financial vitality in doubt, Wall Street will be looking for modest job creation and wage growth.
SERVICE SECTOR INDEX: This morning, the ISM will release the latest results of its nonmanufacturing index, which tracks the service economy.
EARNINGS TO WATCH: British Airways and Washington Post Co.
