Wall St The Week Ahead: Weather sways US economics
AFTER months of sub par economic data that has been blamed at least partially on the brutal winter weather, investors may still struggle to discern the real picture of the economy next week.
The closely watched monthly jobs report due on Friday is expected show that employers stepped up hiring a bit in February, but there is a greater-than-unusual amount of uncertainty around forecasts given that the weather remained unseasonable.
In addition, questions over whether Russia could be drawn into the conflict in Ukraine will likely weigh on investor sentiment. March futures on the CBOE Volatility index, Wall Street’s so-called fear gauge, shot up nearly a per cent even as the S&P 500 closed at another record high on Friday.
In almost the last week for major earnings, Costco and Staples are due to report on Thursday.