On Tap Today: Wall Street's Attention Riveted on CPI, Earnings

Wall Street plays the waiting game before the opening bell, in anticipation of the Consumer Price Index ( definition | chart | source ). The numbers, which are expected at 8:30 a.m. EDT, will provide the latest clues to whether or not the Fed is through raising interest rates.

Once out of the gate, stocks will get plenty of investor attention as a torrent of earnings announcements flood the marketplace. Technology heavyweights

Intel

(INTC) - Get Report

and

Microsoft

(MSFT) - Get Report

issue results today. The market today will likely follow their lead.

Also reporting today are

Compuware

(CPWR)

, which raised a red flag about its second-quarter profits just two weeks ago, and chipmaker

Broadcom

(BRCM)

, which last month joined the

S&P 500

ranks.

Expected Earnings Reports

This table includes S&P 500 companies only. Dates are as expected according to First Call/Thomson Financial, and may change. The full week's earnings calendar is published separately.

Economic Data

(

Forecasts are from

Reuters

. Times are Eastern. For a longer-term economic calendar and more, see

TSC's

Economic Databank.

)

8:30 a.m.: Consumer Price Index for June. Source: Labor Department. Forecast: +0.4%. Previous: +0.1%. Includes Ex-food and energy. Forecast: +0.2%. Previous: +0.2%.
8:30 a.m.: Real earnings for June. Source: Labor Department . Forecast: N/A. Previous: -0.3%.
9 a.m.: BTM Weekly U.S. Retail Chain Store Sales Index for the week ended Saturday. Source: Schroder. Forecast: N/A. Previous: +0.3%.
9 a.m.: Redbook retail average for the month through Saturday, vs. June. Source: LJR Redbook. Forecast: N/A. Previous: +1.4%.

IPO Quiet Periods Expiring

(TheStreet.com's

Ben Holmes, who heads

TSC's

ipoPros.com subsidiary, keeps a close eye on quiet-period expirations every week. For more on quiet periods and why they matter, check out Holmes' primer on the subject. The full current quiet-period expirations list is published separately.

)