The Business Week Ahead...

Inflation is the theme in this week's calendar starting off on Tuesday with import & export prices followed by producer prices on Wednesday and consumer prices on Thursday. All are expected to get a boost from the recovery in oil prices with core rates, in a special plus, also showing strength, but probably not enough strength however to heat up talk of a June rate hike. Retail sales will be posted Wednesday and are expected to be held down once again by vehicle sales. And even with another respectable showing for core sales, the results aren't expected to lift first-quarter GDP estimates. Consumer sentiment has been holding in better than consumer spending and will be posted on Friday along with industrial production where, however, slowing is expected for the manufacturing component.