Here's what Wall Street economists expects this week.

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell emphasized the need for continued patience in monitoring inflation trends during his remarks at the Foreign Bankers’ Association's annual meeting in Amsterdam on Tuesday. Powell highlighted that while there was some easing of inflation in the U.S. last year, the first quarter showed unexpectedly high inflation rates, which were not anticipated. Despite these challenges, he maintains a cautious optimism that inflation will gradually return to the Fed's target of 2% over the year, though he admitted his confidence has diminished somewhat following the recent data.

Powell concluded by stating that the central bank will closely observe incoming inflation data to determine its future monetary policy actions.

This week will see an increase in activity with the upcoming release of the U.S. April consumer price index on Wednesday, which is closely watched by economists focusing on potential changes in Federal Reserve policies, particularly the possibility of interest rate cuts before the end of the year.

Recent data has shown a disruption in the declining inflation trend from the first quarter, sparking concerns about persistently higher inflation rates and reduced likelihood of monetary easing, according to Sam Bullard, a senior economist at Wells Fargo. In response to these concerns, Fed Chair Jerome Powell has indicated two scenarios that could lead to rate cuts: a reassurance of low inflation rates or a sudden downturn in the labor market.

Key events this week include:

• Consumer Price Index (CPI) for April: Scheduled for release at 8:30 a.m. Eastern on Wednesday. Economists anticipate that the headline CPI inflation will increase by 0.4% for the third consecutive month, with the year-over-year rate possibly moderating to 3.4%, slightly down from 3.5% the previous month. The core CPI, which excludes volatile items like food and energy, might rise by 0.3%, marking the lowest rate since December, with an annual pace expected to decline to 3.6%, a three-year low.
  
  
• Retail Sales for April: Also set for Wednesday at 8:30 a.m. Eastern, where retail sales are expected to show a modest increase of 0.5%, following a strong 0.7% rise in March. Sales excluding autos might increase by just 0.2%, compared to a 1.1% increase the previous month. Adjustments to March's figures could be made, potentially affecting the April growth figures.
  
  
• Weekly Jobless Claims: On Thursday at 8:30 a.m. Eastern, jobless claims are anticipated to decrease by 12,000, offsetting more than half of the previous week's unexpected rise to 231,000, influenced by seasonal employment shifts in New York.
  
  Overall, while inflation has shown signs of heating up unexpectedly in the first quarter, economists still forecast a downward trend for the year. The Philadelphia Fed's latest survey suggests that by the fourth quarter, headline inflation could slow to 2.5% annually, with core inflation at 2.7%.