The Week Ahead on Wall Street: Apollo Group and Research in Motion Earnings, Bernanke Speeches

In the upcoming week, market watchers will limp to the finish line of the first quarter with economic data and earnings. Housing data will top the list early in the week, hopefully setting a positive tone for the upcoming first quarter earnings numbers. The week will also include a picture of consumers’ sentiment on the economy with consumer confidence and personal spending data.

From Asia, investors will keep their eyes on economic data. After recent news of China’s slowdown in manufacturing and an expected decline in iron ore consumption, this could affect equities and commodities in the upcoming week.

On Saturday, reports on manufacturing activity will be released by Chinese officials and HSBC.

Back in the U.S., here’s a look at this week’s deluge of economic and earnings information.

Economics

Monday: Pending home sales index and Dallas Fed manufacturing survey.

Tuesday: ICSC-Goldman Store Sales, Redbook, S&P Case-Shiller home-price index, Consumer Confidence and Richmond Fed manufacturing index.

Wednesday: MBA purchase applications, Durable Goods Orders, and EIA petroleum status report.

Thursday: Fourth quarter GDP (third reading), Jobless claims, EIA natural gas report and Kansas City Fed manufacturing index.

Friday: Personal income, Chicago PMI and Consumer sentiment.

Fed Speak

Monday: Chairman Ben Bernanke speaks.

Tuesday: Chairman Ben Bernanke speaks.

Thursday: Chairman Ben Bernanke speaks.

Friday: New York Fed President William Dudley testifies before Congress.

Earnings

Monday: Apollo Group (NASDAQ:APOL), Cal-Maine (NASDAQ:CALM) and Landec (NASDAQ:LNDC).

Tuesday: Charming Shoppes (NASDAQ:CHRS), Christopher & Banks (CBX), EXFO (NASDAQ:EXFO), Lennar (NYSE:LEN), McCormick (NYSE:MKC), Neogen (NASDAQ:NEOG), Oxford Indus (NYSE:OXM), PVH (NYSE:PVH), Robbins & Myers (NYSE:RBN), Sealy (NYSE:ZZ), Synnex (NYSE:SNX) and Walgreen (NYSE:WAG).

Wednesday: Commercial Metals (NYSE:CMC), Family Dollar Stores (NYSE:FDO), H.B. Fuller (NYSE:FUL), Huntington Ingalls (HII), Lindsay (NYSE:LNN), Mosaic (NYSE:MOS), Paychex (NASDAQ:PAYX), Progress Software (NASDAQ:PRGS), Red Hat (NYSE:RHT), Resources Connection (NASDAQ:RECN), Texas Indus (NYSE:TXI) and UniFirst (NYSE:UNF).

Thursday: Best Buy (NYSE:BBY), Cache (NASDAQ:CACH), Finish Line (NASDAQ:FINL), Movado (NYSE:MOV), Pep Boys (NYSE:PBY), Research In Motion (NASDAQ:RIMM), Saba Software (NASDAQ:SABA), Shaw (NYSE:SHAW), SORL Auto Parts (NASDAQ:SORL), TIBCO Software (NASDAQ:TIBX), Worthington Indus (NYSE:WOR) and Xyratex (NASDAQ:XRTX).

To contact the reporter on this story: Debbie Baratz at staff.writers@wallstcheatsheet.com

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Damien Hoffman at editors@wallstcheatsheet.com