Your Capitol Hill & Wall Street Events Cheat Sheet (Bernanke Bookends Addition)

Last week we were correct to say that the focus would be on Treasury Secy. Timothy Geithner's and the director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), Peter Orszag's myriad trips to Capitol Hill. Early in the week, we updated the website with a link to a terrific piece outlining what the FDIC's Sheila Bair thought would happen next in the recovery. We spotlighted it because she was focused on the public/private bank partnership (which will assist banks in unloading unwanted assets) that has been called everything from a bad bank to an aggregator bank. The most important part of that story was a source saying we might get the details as early as this week.

We were disappointed to hear over the weekend on the Sunday talk shows that the administration needs more time, however, we suspect this week you may see some leaks on this topic.

This week is bookended by Federal Reserve Chmn. Ben Bernanke due to his 60 Minutes interview last night (which you can easily watch and read on the web) where he said the recovery would begin in 2010. The week will end with a speech by Chmn. Bernanke, and it may end up being interesting depending on how the news cycle dissects his Scott Pelley interview.

In the meantime, we've outline a dozen hearings this week in Congress that will be fodder to scrutinize the Troubled Asset Relief Program "TARP," Chmn. Bernanke's comments, and oh - of course - certain bonuses that have gotten headlines in the past few days.

Here's your cheat sheet... We do caution that you check back to WhyYouCare.com for updates on scheduling.

Here's why you care about next week's trends in earnings, reports and hearings:
Reports: Building Permits and Housing Starts (3/17), Retails Sales and Unemployment (3/19).

Such a big week that you could almost miss it?: Commerce Secy. confirmation hearing (3/18).

MONDAY 3/16
Earnings: Education Realty Trust, Oriental Financial Group, Patriot Capital Funding, PMI Group, Providence Service Corp., Sterling Construction.

Conference: National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials 2009 conference in Washington, D.C. In attendance: HUD Secy. Shaun Donovan.

Discussion: Center for American Progress on "Imagining a Mortgage Finance System that Works."


TUESDAY 3/17
Earnings: AAR Corp., Adobe Systems, Anthracite Capital, Goldman Sachs, Pinnacle, Sirius XM Radio

Economic Reports: Building Permits (for Feb.), Housing Starts (for Feb.), Producer Price Index (PPI) (for Feb.)

Hearings:

House Energy and Commerce Cmte's Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection Subcmte. on "Stimulating the Economy through Trade: Examining the Role of Export Promotion."

House Financial Services Cmte. on regulation of systemic risk in the financial services industry.

House Judiciary Cmte's Courts and Competition Policy Subcmte. on "Too Big To Fail?: The Role of Antitrust Law in Government-Funded Consolidation in the Banking Industry."

Conference: National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials 2009 conference in Washington, D.C. In attendance: Rep. Tom Latham (R-IA), Rep. Albio Sires (D-NJ), Rep. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV).


WEDNESDAY 3/18
Earnings: Actuant, General Mills, Lindsay Corp., Nike, Oracle.

Economic Reports: Consumer Price Index (CPI), FOMC (Federal Open Markets Cmte.) Rate Decision, Mortgage Bankers Association releases weekly data on mortgage applications.

Hearing: House Financial Services Cmte's Capital Markets, Insurance and Government Sponsored Enterprises Subcmte. on "American International Group's Impact on the Global Economy: Before, During and After Federal Intervention." Witness: AIG CEO Edward Liddy.

Confirmation Hearing: Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Cmte's confirmation hearing for Commerce Secy. nominee Gary Locke.

Conference: National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials 2009 conference in Washington, D.C. - closing ceremony.


THURSDAY 3/19
Earnings: 3com, Barnes & Noble, Blockbuster, Carnival, Discover Financial Services, FedEx, Morgan Stanley, Perry Ellis, Ross Stores,

Economic Reports: Initial Unemployment Claims (for 3/14), Primary Mortgage Market Survey (mortgage rate survey).

Hearings:

Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Cmte. on small business lending.

House Appropriations Cmte's Financial Services and General Government Subcmte. on fiscal 2010 appropriations.

House Oversight and Government Reform Cmte. on "Preventing Stimulus Waste And Fraud: Who are the Watchdogs?"

House Ways and Means Cmte's Oversight Subcmte. on the Troubled Asset Relief Program.

House Financial Services Cmte's Capital Markets, Insurance and Government Sponsored Enterprises Subcmte. on administration programs that allow homeowners to refinance or modify their mortgages.

Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Cmte. on modernizing bank supervision and regulation.

Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Cmte's Financial Institutions Subcmte. on deposit insurance.


FRIDAY 3/20
Earnings: Kirklands

Hearing: House Financial Services Cmte. on "Federal and State Enforcement of Financial Consumer and Investor Protection Laws."

Speech: Federal Reserve Chmn. Ben Bernanke on "The Financial Crisis and Community Banking" at the Independent Community Bankers of America's National Convention in Phoenix, AZ.