This Week: Walmart earns, Fed meeting minutes, US home sales

A look at some of the key business events and economic indicators upcoming this week:

STRONG FINISH?

Wall Street expects that Walmart closed out its last fiscal year on a high note.

Analysts predict the nation's largest retailer's fiscal fourth-quarter earnings and revenue increased from a year earlier. Walmart has benefited from strong sales, particularly in its grocery business, which the company has expanded by rolling out an online delivery service.

CLOSE-UP ON THE FED

The Federal Reserve issues the minutes of its last monetary policymaking meeting Wednesday.

At the meeting, Fed officials elected to keep the central bank's key short-term interest rate unchanged at a low level. The Fed noted that the economy looked solid, but also faced global threats, including the new virus outbreak from China.

EYE ON HOUSING

A solid job market and low mortgage rates helped drive U.S. home sales higher last fall.

However, the inventory of homes for sale is not keeping up with demand. That's one reason economists expect that sales of previously occupied U.S. homes slowed in January from the previous month. The National Association of Realtors issues its latest monthly home sales tally Friday.

Existing home sales, in millions, seasonally adjusted annual rate:

Aug. 5.50

Sept. 5.36

Oct. 5.44

Nov. 5.35

Dec. 5.54

Jan. (est.) 5.50

Source: FactSet