Stock Market: Looking Forward to Next Week !

Last Week (Week ending 04-Mar-11)The Dow ended up 0.1%, The SP500 and Nasdaq index each ended up 0.1%. Oil prices hit two year highs on the continued turmoil in Libya and the Middle East, while gold hit a record high. U.S. economic data continues to paint a picture of recovery as private employers hired more than 200,000 people in February.

The week ahead is not big in terms of quarterly earnings and even less so in terms of economic reports. So, the external forces -- especially Libya -- will dominate financial markets.
 

There was talk that the Obama administration should release crude oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to push oil prices lower. A release could drop oil prices for a short time. 

Crude oil has been pushed higher in recent weeks by political turmoil. This won't leave prices permanently higher, but resolution is required to bring prices back. The longer there is no resolution, the greater the damage to economies around the world. 

Here are the key earnings report for the coming week: 

Monday: Ciena and URBN

Tuesday: DKS　and　ＢＮＳ

Ｗednesday:  MVV, JAS, MCP

Thursday:  ARO and QUAD

Friday: ANN

A Quite Week For Economic Reports,

With Friday's jobs report out of the way, the economic reports tail off. The big reports  come at the end of next week.

Trade Balance for January, due Thursday from the Commerce Department. 

Retail sales, due Friday from the Commerce Department.

University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index, due Friday.