1. Markets taking a holiday breather
Stocks endured a rough Friday ahead of Monday’s Labor Day holiday. Enjoy the respite.
2. More job losses to be reported Friday
All eyes will be on Friday’s employment report for August. Economists at Lehman Brothers are expecting another job loss on top of more than 460,000 so far this year.
3. August car sales expected to improve
Another reading on the auto sector comes Wednesday, with August vehicle sales data. Many analysts are forecasting a slight improvement from July’s grim levels.
4. Service sector report to be released
Will rising exports continue to help keep the manufacturing sector afloat amid the economic turbulence? We’ll find out in Tuesday’s Institute for Supply Management index for August.
5. Clues sought in Fed’s beige book
The Federal Reserve’s latest snapshot of economic conditions comes with Wednesday’s release of the beige book. Analysts will be looking for clues as to the outcome of the Fed’s next interest rate meeting on Sept. 16.
