The week ahead: GDP report on deck

On Monday, Statistics Canada reports on the gross domestic product in February. Economists expect a 0.2-per-cent increase.

On Tuesday, StatsCan reports on industrial product and raw materials prices in March. Economists forecast month-over-month increases of 0.8% and 0.9%, respectively.

Meanwhile, Bank of Canada Governor David Dodge and senior deputy governor Paul Jenkins appear before the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance.

On Thursday, Statistics Canada releases its annual Income in Canada survey.

On Friday, The Ivey purchasing managers index for April is expected to slip to 57.3 from 67.3 the previous month.

South of the border

On Monday, the Chicago Purchasing Managers index for April is expected to fall to 54 from 61.7.

Separately, the U.S. Commerce Department reports on construction spending for March. Economists forecast an increase of 0.2%.

On Wednesday, the U.S. Commerce Department reports on factory orders in March. Orders are expected to rise 2%.

On Thursday, the U.S. Department of Labor reports on the unemployment rate for April. Economists expect a jobless rate of 4.5%, up from 4.4% a month earlier.

Corporate earnings

Quarterly earnings season is in full swing this week. Among the companies scheduled to report are:

• Bell Aliant Regional Communications Income Fund;
• Imperial Oil;
• Inmet Mining;
• Rogers Communications;
• Shell Canada;
• St. Lawrence Cement;
• Stelco;
• WestJet;
• Algoma Steel;
• Angiotech Pharmaceuticals;
• Barrick Gold;
• BCE ;
• Brookfield Asset Management;
• CGI Group;
• Dorel Industries;
• Enbridge;
• Goldcorp;
• Industrial Alliance Insurance and Financial Services;
• Kingsway Financial Services;
• Sherritt International;
• Telus;
• Torstar;
• Kinross Gold;
• Agrium;
• Canadian Natural Resources;
• Dundee REIT;
• Gildan Activewear;
• Great-West Lifeco;
• Legacy Hotels REIT;
• Manulife Financial;
• Russel Metals;
• Tembec;
• Tim Hortons;
• Aur Resources;
• Canfor;
• SNC-Lavalin Group;
• Vermilion Energy Trust;
• Weyerhaeuser Co.;
• Enbridge Income Fund;
• Morguard Real Estate Investment Trust;
• Shoppers Drug Mart; and
• Wescast Industries

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