A turbulent five days for markets, featuring rising tensions in the Middle East and a port strike that both started and stopped, was capped off by a better-than-expected September jobs report that helped stocks close marginally up on the week.
For the first week of October the S&P 500 (^GSPC) rose 0.2%, while the Nasdaq Composite (^IXIC) and Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) rose about 0.1%.
An update on inflation and the start of third quarter earnings reports will grab investor attention in the week ahead.
The October Consumer Price Index (CPI) report will headline an economic calendar that will also feature updates on consumer sentiment and the release of the minutes from the Federal Reserve’s September meeting.
On the corporate side, some of America’s largest financial institutions, including JPMorgan (JPM), Wells Fargo (WFC), and BlackRock (BLK), will kick off third quarter earnings season on Friday. PepsiCo (PEP) and Delta Air Lines (DAL) are also scheduled to report earlier in the week.