From Reuters.com

The day ahead: Wednesday

October orders for durable goods are expected to show a modest rise of 0.5 percent. If the forecast is correct, it would be the third rise in four months and show that demand was picking up for big-ticket items.

Other Highlights:

*  It’s a big day for economic data with personal spending and income, consumer sentiment, new home sales and the weekly jobless claims on tap.

*  Tiffany reports results that will show whether it has been able to sustain the improvement in sales it reported in August.

*  Deere & Co reports fiscal fourth-quarter earnings and will provide investors with a preliminary glimpse into the coming year.

*  At the Reuters India Investment Summit in Bangalore and Mumbai, speakers include top executives from Infosys Technologies, Wipro, SAP India, Mphasis and Mahindra Satyam.

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.

*  All eyes in the retail world will be on high-end jeweler Tiffany & Co to see where the company stands with sales and its outlook for the upcoming holiday season, a critical selling period for jewelers.

*  Apple’s new operating system for Mac computers will go on sale, a bit earlier than expected, as the company looks to continue to expand its share of the PC market.

*  The final reading of the Reuters/University of Michigan consumer sentiment index, which is expected to come in at 64.5, will be down from 66 in July but up from the soft preliminary reading of 63.2.