On Monday, Finance Minister Jim Flaherty, will meet with provincial and territorial finance ministers and treasurers in Chelsea, Quebec.

On Tuesday, Statistics Canada releases data on employment insurance for March.

On Friday, StatsCan reports on the current account balance for the first quarter. Economists expect a deficit of $10.5 billion.

South of the border

U.S. markets are closed Monday in observance of Memorial Day

On Tuesday, the U.S. Conference Board releases its consumer confidence survey for May. Economists expect a reading of 43.

On Wednesday, the U.S. Department of Commerce releases the housing price index for March. Economists expect a rise of 0.2% from the previous month.

Meanwhile, the U.S. National Association of Realtors reports on existing home sales in April. An increase of 2% from the previous month to 4.66 million sales, annualized, is forecast.

On Thursday, the U.S. Commerce Department reports on durable goods orders for April. Economists expect an increase of 0.5%.

Separately, Commerce reports on new home sales in April. Economists expect a rise of 1.1% from the previous month to an annualized figure of 360,000 homes.

Also, the U.S. Department of Labour reports on initial jobless claims for the week ended May 23. Economists forecast 630,000 claims.

On Friday, the U.S. Commerce Department releases its preliminary report on the gross domestic product for the first quarter. An annualized drop of 5.5% is forecast.

The Chicago purchasing managers’ index for May is released. Economists expect a reading of 42.

The University of Michigan issues its final report on consumer sentiment in May. A reading of 68 is forecast.

Corporate earnings

On Tuesday, Bank of Montreal reports its second-quarter results,

Canadian Solar Inc. releases first-quarter results.

On Wednesday, Laurentian Bank of Canada reports its second-quarter results.

On Thursday, Bank of Nova Scotia reports its second-quarter results, as does CIBC, National Bank of Canada, and Toronto-Dominion Bank.

On Friday, Royal Bank of Canada reports its second-quarter results.

IE