Investors will eye financial reports from a handful of retailers next week to gauge the strength of the fledgling recovery.
In addition, General Motors Co., which reports on Monday, will provide the first look at its finances since the Detroit auto maker emerged from bankruptcy earlier this year.
Currency traders watching the decline of the dollar will listen closely to President Barack Obama as he continues his trip to Asia and pushes his message that the global economy can no longer count on the U.S. consumer to keep it afloat.
In Singapore and China next week, Obama will press his effort to "rebalance" the world's economy, urging China to adjust its economic policy to spur domestic consumption as the U.S. encourages less consumption, more savings and more exports. He will attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations meeting in Singapore this weekend before traveling to China and South Korea next week.
Meanwhile, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke is scheduled to speak Monday at the Economic Club of New York. His speech is seen as key to determining the path of the dollar into the end of the year.
Big-box home-improvement-products retailer Home Depot (HD) and its smaller rival, Lowe's Cos. (LOW), are expected to post lower fiscal third-quarter results next week, though spending on home remodeling is showing signs of stabilizing. Home Deport reports Tuesday and Lowe's a day earlier.
Computer-maker Dell Inc. (DELL), which reports Thursday, also is seen posting lower results, but investors will be looking for signs of how the company is managing its shift into new business areas.
Also reporting next week are retailers Target (TGT) on Tuesday and Sears Holdings (SHLD) and Gap Inc. (GPS), both Thursday. Results from retailers this week gave an unclear outlook heading into the industry's crucial holiday selling season.
Economic reports are expected to show wholesale prices rose 0.5% in October, compared with a decline of 0.6% a month earlier, while consumer prices are expected to have risen 0.2%, the same rate as in September. The government's Producer Price Index is due Tuesday and the Consumer Price Index a day later.
Data on October housing starts will be released Wednesday, a day after the National Association of Home Builders issues its November housing index. Housing starts are expected to grow 1.5% from a month earlier.
The government also details October retail sales and September business inventories Monday and October industrial production Tuesday.
Brian Moynihan, a Bank of America (BAC) executive who is being touted as a possible successor to outgoing Chief Executive Ken Lewis, is likely to appear Tuesday before a congressional committee probing Bank of America's takeover of Merrill Lynch.
Finally, the Senate Banking Committee is slated to start formal consideration of legislation to overhaul the financial industry's regulatory landscape next week.
Week Ahead: Earnings Continue, 3Q GDP ExpectedRetailers close out best month in year
