Business Week Index

THE WEEK AHEAD

RETAIL SALES

Tuesday, May 14, 8:30 a.m.EDT -- Retail sales rose a small 0.2% in April, says

the median forecast of economists polled by MMS International, one of The

McGraw-Hill Companies. Weak car buying offset gains elsewhere. Sales rose only

0.1% in March.

CONSUMER PRICE INDEX

Tuesday, May 14, 8:30 a.m.EDT -- Consumer prices likely jumped 0.4% in April,

led by a surge in gasoline prices. Excluding food and energy, core prices

probably rose just 0.2%. In March, the total CPI increased 0.4%, while the core

was up 0.3%.

INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION

Wednesday, May 15, 9:15 a.m.EDT -- Output rose 0.4% in April, after the strike

at General Motors Corp. contributed to a 0.5% drop in March. The operating rate

likely rose to 82.7% in April, from 82.5% in March.

BUSINESS INVENTORIES

Wednesday, May 15, 10 a.m.EDT -- Inventories at factories, wholesalers, and

retailers were likely unchanged in March.

HOUSING STARTS

Thursday, May 16, 8:30 a.m.EDT -- Housing starts probably fell to an annual

rate of 1.43 million in April. Starts fell 3.9% in March, to a 1.45 million

pace.

PRODUCTIVITY AND COSTS

Thursday, May 16, 10 a.m.EDT -- Output per hour worked probably jumped at an

annual rate of 3% in the first quarter, after falling 0.8% in the fourth. Unit

labor costs were likely flat last quarter.

INTERNATIONAL TRADE

Friday, May 17, 8:30 a.m.EDT -- The foreign trade deficit for goods and

services probably widened slightly, to $8.3 billion in March from $8.2 billion

in February.