Here’s what’s important in the financial world this morning:

In the week ahead, investors will have a rash of data about the housing market and earnings to gauge the current U.S. recovery. Earnings highlights include quarterly results from Oracle, FedEx Corp., Micron Technology Inc. and Nike.

Speeches from Federal Reserve officials will offer some insight on the economy.

The new market week will begin with Asian news. Corporate earnings from 2011 will come from Chinese companies including three of the country’s largest banks and its top insurer. Also from China and Japan will be the release of economic data.

Thursday will be a busy day with the release of the March HSBC Purchasing Managers’ Index and February preliminary trade balance (Japan).

Here’s a look at the numbers coming out of the U.S. this week.

Economic Data 

Monday: Housing market index.

Tuesday: ICSG-Goldman store sales, Housing starts, Building permits and Redbook.

Wednesday: MBA purchase applications, Existing home sales and EIA petroleum status report.

Thursday: Jobless claims, Leading indicators, FHFA home prices and EIA natural gas report, Fed balance sheet and Money supply.

Friday: New home sales.

Fed Speak

Monday: New York Fed President William Dudley speech.

Friday: Opening remarks by Ben Bernanke at a Fed conference.

Saturday: Fed Vice Chair Janet Yellen moderates a panel of central banks.

Earnings

Monday:

Adobe Systems

Cache

Focus Media Holding

Gordmans Stores

Tuesday:

AAR

Cintas

DSW

FSI

JA Solar

Jabil Circuit

Jefferies Group

Krispy Kreme

Omnova Solutions

Oracle

SAIC

Tiffany

Wednesday: 

Actuant

Clarcor

Discover Financial

Fred’s

General Mills

Herman Miller

Shoe Carnival

Sonic (NASDAQ:SONC)

Thursday: 

Accenture

ConAgra

Dollar General

FedEx

G-III

GameStop

HIS

Lululemon

Met-Pro

Nike

Perry Ellis

Signet Jewelers

Steelcase

UTi Worldwide

Wet Seal

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