The Week Ahead: May 18-22

KEY EVENT: Quarter hour. Long Island job growth has rebounded in the first quarter, with employers creating 43,500 positions in the January-March period, more than five times the number created in the fourth quarter of 2014. A look at whether the momentum continued into the second quarter comes Thursday when the state Labor Department releases Long Island jobs added in April.

MONDAY: The National Association of Home Builders releases its May housing market index, a gauge of home builders' optimism about the economy. Earnings: Grand Theft Auto publisher Take-Two Interactive Software.

TUESDAY: Housing starts for April from the Commerce Department. Earnings: semiconductor maker Analog Devices, Home Depot, Wal-Mart.

WEDNESDAY: The Federal Reserve releases the meeting minutes from its April conference. Earnings: Hormel Foods, Lowe's, Staples, Target.

THURSDAY: The National Association of Realtors posts existing home sales for April. Also, jobless benefits claims for the week ended May 16 from the U.S. Labor Department. And the Conference Board releases leading economic indicators for April. Earnings: Best Buy, Gap, Hewlett-Packard.

FRIDAY: The U.S. Labor Department updates its closely watched gauge of inflation when it releases consumer prices for April. Earnings: Campbell Soup, Deere.