Financial Roadmap: The Week Ahead August 11 to 15, 2008

This week's economic indicators could impact heavily on Forex markets and, since some of the drop in oil prices has been a result of the stronger dollar, oil prices and financial markets generally...
With initial jobless claims hitting a 6-year high in last week's report, partially due to an extension of unemployment benefits, that number will be worth close attention this week. If it doesn't drop, it could mean there's more to last week's number than just the unemployment extension....

Merk Economic Calendar: Week Ahead In US Financial Markets (August 11-August 15 2008)

Outside of the US macro data, corporate earnings reports on Thursday for Wal-Mart, Nordstrom's and Berkshire-Hathaway all will be closely observed by the market. For the week earnings at Flour on Monday, Indy-Mac on Tuesday and Macy's on Wednesday will also impact the week in trading.

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Wall Street Geek: Has the Housing Market Bottomed?

Investment gurus like Larry Kudlow, Jim Cramer and our own real estate guru, Michael Douville, have been pounding the table lately in predicting that the housing market has bottomed. With a slew of data released over the last couple weeks, including pending home sales, new and existing home sales, Q2 foreclosures and the S&P Case Shiller Price Index, and with the passage of the housing stimulus law, we may have enough information now to explore the possibility... so let's do so.