From Reuters.com
The day ahead: Thursday
Consumer spending is in the spotlight with U.S. auto sales and personal income and outlays data expected.
* Auto sales probably fell in September back to the nearly three-decade lows of early 2009 without government incentives to spur buying.
* Data on personal spending is due. Economists estimated that U.S. personal income rose just 0.1 percent in August after being flat in July and that personal spending jumped 1.1 percent after a 0.2 percent July increase.
* Additional data includes: pending home sales, ISM manufacturing index and initial jobless claims.
The day ahead: Friday
Consumer spending and income data will be closely watched, along with a gauge of consumer sentiment, Tiffany results, and reaction to Apple’s new operating system.
* July personal income and spending data will provide more clues on the likely durability of any economic recovery. Personal income probably rose 0.2 percent compared with a year earlier after a drop of 1.3 percent the previous month, according to Reuters polling.
