Producer prices, retail sales, financial earnings: 3 things to watch

By Liz Moyer

Investing.com -- Blue chip stocks were weighed down by Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS) on Tuesday while tech stocks were able to hold their own.

The news out of the bank sector so far in the quarter has been one of caution. Goldman missed expectations after reporting rising costs and more provisions for credit losses, a warning sign that credit quality could diminish in coming months as the economy cools.

Other banks have also set aside more for possible credit losses, with some bank CEOs hinting at a mild recession coming. As corporate earnings continue to roll out in the next few days and weeks, investors will be listening to what company CEOs say about business conditions for proof that a recession is on the horizon.

The Federal Reserve's beige book due out on Wednesday could also provide some insights from observations made by Fed officials in each of the districts across the country. And retail sales data could be another factor in the Fed's upcoming decision on interest rates.

After raising rates at an aggressive pace last year, the Fed is expected to slow down to a raise of one-quarter of a percentage point. Interest rates are still going up, but at a less steep trajectory. Investors have been trying to pinpoint the moment when the Fed will pause its rate hiking, and maybe even start to cut.

Here are three things that could affect markets tomorrow:

1. Producer prices

The PPI for December is due out at 8:30 ET (13:30 GMT). Analysts expect the month-to-month number to fall 0.1% compared to a gain of 0.3% in November. The year-over-year reading is expected to be up 6.8% versus the 7.4% for the year ending in November. The beige book is due out at 14:00 ET.

2. Retail sales

Retail sales for December are due out at 8:30 ET also. Analysts expect sales to contract 0.8% for the month compared with a decline of 0.6% in November. 

3. Financial earnings

More financial services companies are on tap for earnings. Charles Schwab Corp (NYSE:SCHW) is expected to report earnings per share of $1.09 on revenue of $5.56 billion, while Discover Financial Services (NYSE:DFS) is expected to report earnings of $3.65 a share on revenue of $3.67B.