Morning Market Roundup & the Week Ahead: Geithner's Visit to China & Upcoming Fed Reports

The U.S. stock market kicked off the new year with some positive economic announcements. It was a quiet week on the news front from Europe but now that the markets will be back on a five-day week and vacations are ending look for everything to return to a full swing worldwide.

Here's what to look forward to this week in finance:

Asia: Asia will take its turn with a busy week of economic numbers and a visit from U.S. Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner. China will start the week with the release of its consumer price index and the producer-price index numbers on Monday.

On Tuesday, it will release December trade data and Geithner will arrive in Beijing. He is scheduled to meet with Premier Wen Jiabao on Wednesday.

Their agenda will include discussions on trade between the two countries and cooperation in handling Iran’s nuclear program. Geithner will “discuss measures to promote continued economic growth and level the playing field for U.S. workers and firms,” according to a Treasury statement.

(Related: Are Investors Getting Physical With Gold and Silver?)

Geithner will also meet with Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping, who is likely to be President Hu Jintao’s successor. Later this year, Xi will visit Washington. After his China visit, Geithner will travel to Tokyo on Thursday and meet with Japanese leaders. The week will end with the Bank of Korea making its most recent monetary-policy decision.

U.S. Economy: Back in the U.S., the fourth quarter corporate earnings cycle will begin while market watchers will continue to keep their eyes on Europe and its debt crisis.

Economic Numbers and Fed Speak:

Monday: Consumer credit for November, Atlanta Fed President Dennis Lockhart speaks and Angela Merkel and Nicolas Sarkozy will meet.

Tuesday: NFIB Small-Business Optimism Index for December, speeches from San Francisco Fed President John Williams, Cleveland Fed President Sandra Pianalto and Kansas City Fed President Esther George.

Wednesday: Fed Beige Book report and speeches from Chicago Fed President Charles Evans, Atlanta Fed President Dennis Lockhart and Philadelphia Fed President Charles Plosser.

Thursday: ECB interest-rate decision, Weekly jobless claims and Retail sales for December.

Friday: International trade data for November, import and export prices for December and University of Michigan consumer sentiment for January and speeches from Richmond Fed President Jeffery Lacker, Chicago Fed President Charles Evans and St. Louis Fed President James Bullard.

Earnings:

Monday: Alcoa, Inc. (NYSE:AA).

Tuesday: None.

Wednesday: SUPERVALU, Inc. (NYSE:SVU) and Lennar Corporation (NYSE:LEN).

Thursday: None.

Friday: J.P. Morgan (NYSE:JPM).

[Editor’s note: the above is a cross post that originally appeared on Wall St. Cheat Sheet.]