Retail Sales, Industrial Production, Q3 Earnings, Consumer Sentiment

Last week the S&P 500 added 4.5%, gold hit a record high, and the US dollar tested new lows for the year. So much for a turning point. This week begins slowly with the bond market closed on Monday, but later in the week retail sales and industrial production numbers are releases, plus the first monthly look at consumer sentiment. A range of government officials will also give their latest updates on the economy, which could put less focus in Tuesday’s dated FOMC minutes.

The Q3 earnings session continues from Tuesday to Friday. Highlights include: Intel, J&J (Tuesday); JPMorgan (Wednesday); Harley-Davidson, Goldman Sachs, Citigroup, Google, IBM (Thursday); General Electric, Bank of America (Friday).

Headlines from the Weekend:

“With federal budget deficits soaring, policy makers and other advocates are eyeing the huge sums that could be raised as a way to cover the costs of new initiatives.” â€