Economic picture

NEW YORK — The market is expecting stronger expansion in April than in March. The Commerce Department today reports on February business inventories, and the National Assn. of Home Builders releases its April housing index.

Tuesday brings government data on March industrial production and capacity utilization, as well as March housing starts and building permits.

Thursday, the Conference Board releases its March leading economic indicators, which analysts expect to show improvement from February.

Also, the Philadelphia Fed will report on regional manufacturing activity. Analysts expect the index to indicate stronger expansion than a month ago.

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At a glance

Today

Talks resume between supermarket chains and the United Food and Commercial Workers union on a labor contract that expired March 5 and has been extended twice.

Commerce Department reports on retail sales for March and business inventories for February.

Treasury bill auction.

Quarterly earnings reports due from Citigroup, Eli Lilly, Mattel and Wachovia.

Tuesday

Federal and state income tax returns due. Post offices with extended hours on April 17 can be found at www.usps.com or by calling (800) ASK-USPS, or (800) 275-8777.

House Financial Services Committee holds hearing on rising mortgage foreclosures.

Labor Department reports on consumer price index, Commerce Department on housing starts and Federal Reserve on industrial production -- all for March.

Quarterly earnings reports due from Charles Schwab, Coca-Cola, CSX, Dow Jones, IBM, Intel, Johnson & Johnson, Washington Mutual, Wells Fargo and Yahoo.

Wednesday

Quarterly earnings reports due from Abbott Laboratories, Allstate, AMR, EBay, JPMorgan Chase, Kraft Foods, Motorola, Tribune and United Technologies.

Thursday

Conference Board reports on index of leading economic indicators, Labor Department on weekly jobless claims and Freddie Mac on mortgage rates.

Quarterly earnings reports due from Advanced Micro Devices, American Express, Bank of America, Continental Airlines, Gannett, Google, D.R. Horton, Marriott, Merck, Merrill Lynch, New York Times, Southwest Airlines and Wyeth.

Friday

Quarterly earnings reports due from Caterpillar, Honeywell International, Manpower, McDonald’s, Pfizer and Xerox.

From Times staff and wire reports