The Week Ahead: Federal Reserve Releases New Beige Book

With a newly installed Fed Chair in the form of Jerome Powell and analysts watching closely to track the impacts of things like tax reform and interest rate policy, all eyes are on the Fed as we approach the next meeting of the Federal Open Market Committee on March 20-21. Before the FOMC meeting, however, comes the Beige Book.

The Federal Reserve will release its latest Beige Book on this coming Wednesday, March 6, at 2 p.m. EST. The Beige Book presents a summary of economic conditions and activity, based on reports from the various Fed district banks. It's an early glimpse at the conditions the Fed is tracking and considering and serves as a sort of first look at what may be discussed at the FOMC meeting that follows a few weeks thereafter. The Fed is widely expected to raise interest rates again at this next FOMC meeting, but the Beige Book may also provide further insights into what will come out of that next gathering.

Here’s what else is happening in The Week Ahead:

• MBA Mortgage Apps, Wednesday, 7 a.m. EST
• ADP Employment Report, Wednesday, 8:15 a.m. EST
• Consumer Credit Report, Wednesday, 3 p.m. EST
• Jobless Claims, Thursday, 8:30 a.m. EST
• Fed Balance Sheet, Thursday, 4:30 p.m. EST
• Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey, Thursday, 9 a.m. EST