It took less than two weeks for hopes of interest rate relief to dissolve into worries that a rate hike may be in the works at the Federal Reserve.

Mixed signals on the economy—including last week's cryptic remarks from Fed chairman Ben Bernanke—have left investors weak-kneed and grasping to pull the inflation picture into focus.

Two main inflation indicators, consumer price index and producer price index, will provide welcome direction when issued on Thursday. If either index reveals price growth that comes in above forecasts, that's likely to spook an already nervous market about a potential rise in interest rates.

Economists are looking for a 0.6 percent gain in C.P.I., a measure of how quickly prices are rising for the consumer, after April's 0.4 percent rise.

P.P.I., which looks upstream at price growth for producers, is expected to have grown at 0.5 percent, slower than last month's 0.7 percent.

The Census Bureau will give investors their first clues about May's economic growth on Wednesday, with the release of retail-sales statistics for that month. May sales for Wal-Mart and other chain stores do not offer much hope. They showed a moderate recovery from April's near record-breaking declines, but were hardly stellar.

Economists will be looking for an overall growth of 0.6 percent in consumer spending for May, after an initially reported dip of 0.2 percent for April.

Also out on Wednesday will be import and export prices, as well as business inventories.

Lehman Brothers and Goldman Sachs will both post second quarter results this week, on Tuesday and Thursday respectively.

Goldman Sachs has been a standout earnings performer over the past couple of years, and if it lives up to analyst forecasts of $4.75 a share, it looks to extend its robust profitability for yet another quarter. Goldman's continuing strength comes partly from the healthy fees garnered by its investment banking division.

Analysts also have high hopes for Lehman Brothers this quarter, as the firm's thriving fixed-income and equity-trading businesses are expected to propel the firm to $1.87 in profit.