This Week on the Street with Maria Bartiromo
Wall Street will be keeping an eye on the jobs report, earnings and the Fed Beige Book
By Maria Bartiromo, CNBC
Jobs will be among the big stories again this week, especially after last week's surprise increase in the number of people filing for unemployment benefits, as we wait to get the latest unemployment rate. On Friday, we'll get the official Employment Situation report from the government. It will include the newest unemployment rate, which currently stands at 9.7 percent.
On a related note, fourth-quarter productivity and labor costs will be released Wednesday. Productivity has surged the last three quarters as companies continue to try to make do with fewer employees.
Investors will also be watching the Fed's Beige Book for clues on interest-rate policy, along with other economic and corporate earnings reports.
The Beige Book comes out on Wednesday and is another important release for the week. This is the report on economic conditions used by the Fed to determine interest rate policy. Chairman Ben Bernanke said last week that rates are expected to remain low for a long time, but Wall Street remains watchful for any clues that indicate a rate increase may be on the way.
Other economic reports to watch this week include personal income and spending, auto and truck sales, factory orders and pending home sales.
It will also be a big week for discount retailers, which have done well in the weak economy. On Wednesday, some of the biggest discounters release earnings, including Costco (COST), Big Lots (BIG) and BJ's Wholesale Club (BJ).
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