ECONOMIC WEEK AHEAD: November 3-7

A big week of economic releases is coming up, but the government won’t be reporting them because it is closed for business. Nevertheless, the week ahead will still be a big one for private-sector economic data. On balance, they are likely to show that the economy is expanding, consumers are spending, and employment is still growing, albeit at a slow pace. Consider the following:

(1) Retail sales. The weekly Redbook Retail Sales Index is released on Tuesday mornings. It is likely to confirm that consumers are continuing to spend on merchandise at a solid pace (chart).