Week Ahead

Business

Oil prices fall toward $97 before US Fed meeting

BANGKOK (AP) — The price of U.S. benchmark oil fell slightly Tuesday, a day after briefly touching a nine-month high, as traders awaited the start of a FederalTuesday

Fed’s newest agenda flops

The Federal Reserve’s new communication strategy was supposed to make it easier to decipher the intentions of the famously secretive institution. Markets, however, seem to have missed the memo.Tuesday

Builders’ confidence at 7-year high

For the first time in seven years, most U.S. homebuilders are optimistic about home sales, a sign that construction could help drive stronger economic growth in coming months.Tuesday

Today

•Commerce Department releases durable goods for December

•National Association of Realtors releases pending home sales index for December

Tuesday

•Standard & Poor’s releases S&P/Case-Shiller index of home prices for November

•The Conference Board releases the Consumer Confidence Index for January

•Federal Reserve policymakers begin a two-day meeting to set interest rates

Wednesday

•Commerce Department releases fourth-quarter gross domestic product

Thursday

•Labor Department releases weekly jobless claims

•Freddie Mac, the mortgage company, releases weekly mortgage rates

•Commerce Department releases personal income and spending for December

Friday

•Labor Department releases employment data for January

•Institute for Supply Management releases its manufacturing index for January

•Commerce Department releases construction spending for December

•Automakers release vehicle sales for January