Friday To See Release Of CPI, Industrial Production Data, And Consumer Sentiment []

Friday will see the release of three key economic reports. In the morning, the consumer price index will be released and should give the markets a better look at inflation. Later in the morning, data on industrial production and consumer sentiment will be released.At 8:30 am ET, the consumer price index will be released. The report is a key gauge of consumer inflation. Investors will be watching the CPI data very closely after Thursday's PPI report showed a larger-than-expected rise in wholesale prices. Economists predict that the CPI will show an increase of 0.3% from the 0.2% seen in January. Meanwhile, the core CPI is expected to slow to 0.2% for February from the 0.3% in the previous month. Also released on Friday will be industrial production data, which measures the output of the industrial sector across the nation. Capacity utilization statistics will be released as well. High numbers for these data points could point to strength in the economy, though they could also indicate possible inflation pressures. Economists predict that the level of industrial production will expand for the month of February, after falling 0.5% in January.Finally, preliminary numbers on consumer sentiment are set for release at 10:00 am ET. The data, which comes from the University of Michigan, is a key look at the average consumer's financial conditions and attitudes on the economy. The number for March is expected to decline to 89.8 from 91.3 recorded in February.