The Week Ahead: GDP, Nike Earnings to Hit the Street

Ahead of the long Christmas weekend, there will be plenty of economic data and earnings reports to digest. In the spotlight will be final numbers on third-quarter gross domestic product (GDP), due out Thursday. Meanwhile, Dow stock Nike Inc (NYSE:NKE) will step into the earnings spotlight, as will a number of major tech firms.

Below is a brief list of some key market events scheduled for the upcoming week. All earnings dates listed below are tentative and subject to change. Please check with each company's respective website for official reporting dates.

Things are relatively quiet on both the economic and earnings fronts for Monday, Dec. 19. The flash reading of the Markit services purchasing managers index (PMI) is the sole economic report due. Meanwhile, earnings from Lennar (LEN) will be in the crosshairs.

There are no notable economic reports scheduled on Tuesday, Dec. 20. However, it will be a busy day for earnings. Joining NKE in the confessional will be BlackBerry (BBRY), CarMax (KMX), Carnival (CCL), Darden Restaurants (DRI), FedEx (FDX), and General Mills (GIS) all set to report. 

Existing home sales and weekly crude inventories data will be released on Wednesday, Dec. 21. Bed Bath & Beyond (BBBY) and Finish Line (FINL) will step up to the earnings stage. Tech firms Accenture (ACN), Micron Technology (MU), and Red Hat (RHT) will also report.

All eyes on Thursday, Dec. 22 will be focused on the final reading on third-quarter GDP. Other reports on the docket are durable goods orders, weekly jobless claims, and personal income and spending. Entering the earnings confessional will be Cal-Maine Foods (CALM) and Rite Aid (RAD).

The week will conclude on Friday, Dec. 23 with new home sales and the Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan consumer sentiment survey. There are no earnings reports worth noting. Looking ahead, U.S. markets will be closed on Monday, Dec. 26 for the Christmas holiday.