Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Strategies & Market Trends : News Links and Chart Links -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Chris McConnel who wrote (5849)	2/16/2003 2:02:37 PM
From: Softechie	Respond to of 29596

Looking Ahead: Week of February 17 to February 21 Market News International surveys between 15 and 20 Wall Street economists each week for their forecasts of economic indicators. Wednesday The market consensus shows that housing starts should post a 4.6 percent drop in January to a 1.75 million unit rate after gaining an average a 5 percent a month for the two previous months. Even at a 1.75 million-unit rate, housing starts would be awfully strong, spurred by continued declines in mortgage rates. (Forecast range: 1.67 to 1.85 million-unit rate) Thursday Economists are predicting that new jobless claims will increase 8,000 to 385,000 in the week ended February 15 from last week's level of 377,000. Changes in jobless claims are typically more volatile in the fall and winter because of a variety of holidays; it becomes more difficult to adjust the data for seasonal variation. (Forecast range: -7,000 to +13,000) The producer price index is expected to post a 0.4 percent hike in January after remaining unchanged in December. This is due to a spurt in energy prices. (Forecast range: 0.2 to 0.7 percent). Excluding the volatile food and energy components, the PPI should rise 0.1 percent for the month. The core PPI declined in both November and December. (Forecast range: -0.1 to +0.1 percent) The market consensus shows that the international trade deficit on goods and services is expected to narrow to $38.5 billion in December, after widening sharply to $40.1 billion in November. In October, the trade deficit was $35.2 billion. Keep in mind that the longshoreman's labor dispute on the West Coast distorted import and export demand over the past several months. Perhaps trade will get back to normal in 2003. (Forecast range: $-38 to $-40.9 billion) The Conference Board's index of leading indicators is predicted to remain unchanged in January after inching up in the past couple of months. Stock prices rose in January relative to December and new jobless claims fell (a positive in this index). However, the workweek and vendor performance were unchanged and consumer expectations declined. (Forecast range: -0.1 to +0.2 percent) Economists are predicting that the Philadelphia Fed's business outlook survey of manufacturing conditions will remain unchanged at 11.2 in February. The index was at 11.3 in December as well. Any level above zero represents an expanding manufacturing sector, however. (Forecast range: 9.0 to 14.0) Friday The market consensus shows that the consumer price index should post a gain of 0.3 percent for the month of January. This is largely due to higher energy prices. (Forecast range: 0.3 to 0.5 percent) Excluding the volatile food and energy components, the core CPI is predicted to increase 0.2 percent in January, slightly higher than the previous month's gain of 0.1 percent. The federal budget is predicted to post a modest $10 billion surplus for the month of January. In the two previous years, the surplus averaged more than $50 billion for this month. Tax receipts are still sluggish in this environment, holding down the surplus. (Forecast range: $8 to $15 billion)