Next Week: Trade balance, Fed policy meeting, consumer credit

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The Commerce Department releases its monthly snapshot of the nation’s trade gap Tuesday

A look at some of the key business events and economic indicators upcoming Next week.

OUT OF BALANCE

The Commerce Department releases its latest monthly tally of the nation’s trade gap Tuesday.

The gap between the value of goods and services the U.S. sells abroad and what it buys narrowed in August to $70.4 billion. Exports of aircraft, computer accessories, cars and other goods rose 2%. Imports of goods fell 0.9%, while demand for US services like travel rose. Economists predict the U.S. trade gap widened slightly to $72.7 billion in September.

Trade balance, monthly, billions of dollars, seasonally adjusted:

April -74.9

May -75.3

June -73.0

July -78.9

Aug. -70.4

Sept. (est.) -72.7

Source: FactSet

THE FED SPEAKS

Federal Reserve officials wrap up a two-day meeting and issue an interest rate policy update Thursday.

At their last meeting Sept. 18, Fed officials reduced the central bank’s main interest rate to 4.8%, from a two-decade high of 5.3%, and penciled in two more quarter-point rate cuts in November and December. However, a string of stronger-than-expected reports on the U.S. economy in recent weeks could influence how deeply the Fed will ultimately cut rates.

JUST CHARGE IT

The Federal Reserve issues its latest tally of U.S. consumer borrowing Thursday.

The tally is expected to show consumer borrowing rose by $11.6 billion in September. That would follow an increase of $8.9 billion in August. Total consumer debt has risen to more than $5 trillion.

Consumer credit, monthly change, seasonally adjusted, billions of dollars:

April 1.6

May 9.6

June 3.2

July 26.6

Aug. 8.9

Sept. (est.) 11.6

Source: FactSet

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