Federal Reserve chair Janet Yellen testifies before a House Financial Services Committee hearing on Monetary Policy and the State of the Economy in Washington on Feb. 11, 2014.Reuters
The following is a daily rundown of the economic reports and corporate earnings that will be grabbing the market's attention in the week ahead.
Monday, March 17
Euro zone releases the consumer price index for February. It's expected to rise 0.8 per cent from a year earlier, matching January's increase.
(830 a.m. ET) Canada reports international securities transactions for January.
(9 a.m. ET) Canada releases existing home sales for February, forecast to rise 2.0 per cent from a year ago, with prices rising an average of 8.5 per cent. The MLS home price index is also scheduled.
(915 a.m. ET) U.S. reports industrial production, forecast to rise 0.2 per cent after declining 0.3 per cent in January. Capacity utilization rate also to be released.
(10 a.m. ET) U.S. National Association of Homebuilders releases its index for March, forecast to come in at 50, ahead of February's 46.
Earnings include: Churchill; Ensign Energy; Fortuna Silver Mines; Intrawest Resorts Holdings
Tuesday, March 18
(830 a.m. ET) Canada reports manufacturing sales for January. They are forecast to rise 1.0 per cent after declining 0.9 per cent in December.
(830 a.m. ET) U.S. reports consumer price index. It's forecast to rise 0.1 per cent, matching the gain in January. Excluding food and energy, it's expected to rise 0.1 per cent.
(830 a.m. ET) U.S. reports housing starts for February. They are forecast to rise 3.9 per cent, to an annual rate of 914,000.
(1140 a.m. ET) Bank of Canada Governor Stephen Poloz speaks to the Halifax Chamber of Commerce, with a press conference scheduled for 1 p.m. (ET).
Federal Reserve begins two-day policy meeting.
Earnings include: Alimentation Couche-Tard; Lake Shore Gold; Adobe Systems; Hertz Global Holdings; Oracle; Perry Ellis International
Wednesday, March 19
Japan releases trade deficit for February.
(830 a.m. ET) Canada reports wholesale trade sales for January. It's expected to rise 1.0 per cent.
(2 p.m. ET) U.S. Federal Reserve makes announcement on monetary policy. It's expected to make no change in interest rates and maintain its plan of tapering its monthly bond purchases by a further $10-billion.
(230 p.m. ET) Federal Reserve chair Janet Yellen conducts her first press conference.
Earnings include: Armtec; Athabasca Oil; Endeavour Mining; Franco-Nevada; New Flyer; Power Corp of Canada; Power Financial; FedEx; General Mills; Guess; KB Home
Thursday, March 20
(830 a.m. ET) U.S. releases jobless claims for last week. They are forecast to rise by 8,000 to 322,000.
(10 a.m. ET) U.S. releases the Philadelphia Fed Survey. The index is expected to come in at 4.0.
(10 a.m.. ET) U.S. releases existing home sales. They are forecast to come in unchanged, at an annual rate of 4.62 million.
Earnings include: Silver Wheaton; ConAgra Foods; Lennar; Nike; PetroChina; Winnebago Industries
Friday March, 21
Euro zone releases consumer confidence.
(830 a.m. ET) Canada reports the consumer price index for February. Consensus is for a 0.6 per cent rise month over month, or 0.9 per cent from a year ago. In January, the monthly increase was 0.3 per cent.
(830 a.m. ET) Canada reports retail sales for January. The consensus is for a rise of 0.8 per cent, after falling 1.8 per cent in December. Excluding autos, they are expected to rise 0.9 per cent.
No major corporate earnings reports scheduled.