The Week Ahead on Wall Street – FOMC Minutes, BLS Unemployment, and Monsanto Earnings

Market watchers will enter another abbreviated week before getting back into the swing of a regular work week. Barring any bad news from Europe, economic data and the?December Federal Open Market Committee meeting minutes should keep investors on their toes this week.

In Asia, market watchers will also keep their eyes on Europe and the FOMC’s meeting minutes but the region will produce some news of its own from their data releases.

The week will also start out slowly as many of major stock markets are closed on Monday including Tokyo, Hong Kong, Sydney and Bangkok but one number will be released on this day:?manufacturing surveys from Australia, South Korea and India.

In Japan, Friday will include earnings reports from top retailers?Aeon Co. (AONNF)?and Seven & I Holdings Co.?(SVNDF).

Back in the U.S., look for a full week of economic data and earnings reports.

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Economic Data

Tuesday: Institute for Supply Management December manufacturing report, December FOMC Minutes, November Construction Spending and?Iowa GOP Caucus.

Wednesday: November factory orders and December U.S. motor vehicle sales.

Thursday: December ADP Employment Report, Weekly Jobless Claims and December ISM Non-Manufacturing Index.

Friday: December unemployment rate and nonfarm payrolls.

Earnings

Wednesday: Mosaic Co. (NYSE:MOS).

Thursday: Apollo Group Inc. (NASDAQ:APOL), Constellation Brands Inc. (NYSE:STZ), Family Dollar Stores Inc. (NYSE:FDO)?and Monsanto Co. (NYSE:MON).

Investing Insights: The Mosaic Company Second Quarter Earnings Sneak Peek.

To contact the reporter on this story: Debbie Baratz at staff.writers@wallstcheatsheet.com

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Damien Hoffman a! t editor s@wallstcheatsheet.com