By Kasra Kangarloo

WASHINGTON (MNI) – Next week will feature mostly second-tier data,
with the exception of a couple key inflation releases and the trade
balance report.

The producer price index and the import price index for September
will be released, Friday and Thursday, respectively, both at 8:30 a.m.
ET. The reports are expected to show higher headline inflation, based on
rising food and energy prices.

Initial jobless claims have lately slid into the 360,000 range, a
sign of modest job growth, though not enough to materially affect the
unemployment rate. It will be worth watching the report Thursday in
light of the September jobs report, which showed a surprise drop in the
unemployment rate to 7.8%

Other employment-related data to be released over the week include
the August JOLTs job openings report Wednesday at 10:00 a.m. ET and the
September employment trends index Tuesday at 10:00 a.m. ET.

The August trade balance report, to be released Thursday at 8:30
a.m. ET, is expected to show a wider deficit. The report could also shed
light on what appears to be a weakening trend in the manufacturing
sector.

Based on the latest data, the sector appears to be in a sort of
flux: manufacturers shed jobs for two straight months according to the
latest employment report, but the Institute of Supply Management
purchasing managers index eked back into positive territory in
September. Export figures in the trade report could clarify the trend.

Other data to be released over the week include August wholesale
inventories Wednesday at 10:00 a.m. ET, the October IBD/TIPP economic
optimism index Tuesday at 10:00 a.m. ET, the National Federation of
Small Business optimism index Tuesday at 7:30 a.m. ET, and the Mortgage
Bankers Association’s mortgage applications index Wednesday at 7:00 a.m.
ET.

Federal Reserve speeches over the week are listed below:

Minneapolis Federal Reserve Bank President Naryana Kocherlakota
speaks to business and community leaders in Montana Wednesday at 2:45
p.m. ET.

Also Wednesday, Dallas Federal Reserve Bank President Richard
Fisher speaks to the Cato Institute conference in Washington on Europe’s
fiscal crisis at 4:45 p.m. ET.

Federal Reserve Gov. Jeremy Stein answers questions at the
Brookings Institution in Washington Thursday at 10:00 a.m. ET.

St. Louis Federal Reserve Bank President. James Bullard speaks to
the Annual Fall Research Conference Thursday at 6:00 p.m. ET.

— Kasra Kangarloo is a reporter for Need to Know News

** MNI Washington Bureau: 202-371-2121 **

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