Stocks could ride the 2021 tailwind into the new year, but the jobs report and Fed will be in focus

Stocks could ride the 2021 tailwind into the new year, but the jobs report and Fed will be in focus

It's back to business in the week ahead with a busy economic calendar to start the new year, including the always important monthly jobs report. After a stellar 2021, stocks head into the 2022 with a tailwind, but the course of the market in the new year will depend more on solid earnings growth and a strong economy than a super easy Federal Reserve. The rose 27% to 4,766 in a banner year, notching 70 record closing highs. The benchmark outpaced the 19% gain in the and the 21% rise in the With Monday's opening bell, the clock starts ticking on a quarter that could see the first Fed rate hike since 2018. In the bond market, worries about the latest omicron Covid-19 variant could give way to an investment community more intent on a reset of expectations The employment report is the most important data on a calendar that also includes the ISM manufacturing survey data and auto sales, both slated for Tuesday. International trade data is released Thursday. According to Dow Jones, economists expect 405,000 jobs were added in the final month of 2021, up from 210,000 in November. The unemployment rate is expected to slide to 4.1%