All Eyes On April FOMC, US 1Q GDP: Next Week’s Economic Events

The Federal Open Market Committee meeting on April 24-25, Fed Chairman Ben S. Bernanke's comments during the post-meeting press conference, and an advance reading on U.S. gross domestic product in the first quarter will dominate the economic calendar next week.

Fed officials will likely be in watch-and-wait mode at the FOMC meeting. A third round of quantitative easing, or QE3, is not entirely off the table, but is unlikely at the next few meetings, according to many economists. Markets will also watch to see whether the Fed will push for additional transparency moves.

Below are entries on the economic calendar for April 23-27 -- all listed times are Eastern Daylight Time:

Monday

No important U.S. events scheduled at this time.

Non-U.S.:

China -- HSBC Flash manufacturing PMI index for April.