Equities started the New Year on the right foot, with all three major indexes rising at least 1.5% last week. The venerable Dow Jones Industrial Average led the way, up 2.3%, ending the week with its third record close in the new year.

Earnings season kicks off this week as the big banks report their results. It will be a challenge to impress Wall Street as many financial stocks are trading near record highs.

JPMorgan Chase will report results on Tuesday, followed by Bank of America, Citigroup, and Wells Fargo on Wednesday. Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, and TSMC will announce earnings on Thursday, while PNC Financial Services Group rounds out the week on Friday.

On the economic front, the consumer price index, released on Tuesday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, will be the most important data for investors. On Wednesday, we will also get two months of producer price data from the BLS, as well as existing-home sales from the National Association of Realtors.

Monday 1/12

The 44th annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference convenes in San Francisco. The conference runs through Thursday.

Tuesday 1/13

Bank of New York Mellon, Delta Air Lines, and JPMorgan Chase release earnings.

The National Federation of Independent Business releases its Small Business Optimism Index for December. The consensus estimate is for a 99.5 reading, half a point more than in November.

The BLS releases the consumer price index for December. Economists forecast a 2.7% year-over-year increase, the same as November's figure. The core CPI, which excludes food and energy, is also expected to rise 2.7%, one-tenth of a percentage point more than previously.

The Census Bureau reports new-home sales for both September and October as it catches up on economic data that was delayed by the government shutdown late last year. The consensus call is for a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 718,000 single-family homes sold, down from 800,000 in August.

Wednesday 1/14

Bank of America, Citigroup, and Wells Fargo announce quarterly results.

The BLS releases the producer price index for both October and November. Expectations are for a 2.7% year-over-year rise for November. In September, the PPI increased 2.7%, while the core PPI rose 2.6%.

The Census Bureau reports retail and food-services sales for November. The consensus estimate is for a 0.4% increase month over month, following a flat reading in October. Excluding autos, retail sales are seen rising 0.3%, one-tenth of a percentage point less than previously.

The National Association of Realtors reports existing-home sales for December. Economists forecast a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.23 million homes sold, 100,000 more than in November.

The Federal Reserve releases the beige book for the first of eight times this year. The report gathers anecdotal information on current economic conditions from the central bank's 12 regional banks.

Thursday 1/15

BlackRock, Goldman Sachs, J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Morgan Stanley, and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing report earnings.

Friday 1/16

M&T Bank, PNC Financial Services Group, Regions Financial, and State Street release quarterly results.

The National Association of Home Builders releases its Housing Market Index for January. The consensus call is for a 39 reading, even with the December figure. Readings of less than 50 indicate that home builders are pessimistic about the single-family housing market in the next six months.