Hello friends and Fortune readers.
Welcome to the Easter holiday week. Despite the celebration, there should still be plenty of activity. Tech IPOs — an area without much excitement this year – may start to pick up with web-hosting firm GoDaddy’s expected share pricing Tuesday followed a day later by their start of trading, Wednesday is also when seed giant Monsanto will issue its latest quarterly earnings. Automakers will also be revealing some of their upcoming models at an industry trade show in New York. Of course, the run up to Easter is inevitably a busy time for shoppers who stock up on sweets and retailers that sell them. Don’t forget that markets will be closed for Good Friday. Despite that, the federal government will still be open for business as it releases the latest monthly employment report.
Here’s what you need to know to start the week.
1. March jobs report.
The latest jobs report is due out Friday with yet another strong month expected. Analysts predict that the economy added roughly 260,000 jobs in March, which would lower the unemployment rate to 5.4% to 5.5%. Should forecasts hold, that would make March the 13th straight month of at least 200,000 job additions. The expected March results aren’t quite as strong as February’s surprising bounty of 295,000 new jobs. But it’s still pretty good.
2. GoDaddy goes public.
The web-hosting company is expected to price its initial public offering Tuesday, with trading kicking off the following day. The expected pricing of between $17 and $19 per share. If priced at the top of its range, the company would be valued at $2.87 billion. GoDaddy, which is known for its history of racy Super Bowl commercials, would be the latest high-profile tech IPO of 2015, following the debut of data storage company Box in January. The market for new issues has been slow. But GoDaddy’s s should at least shows it’s alive.
3. Monsanto reports financials amid row with WHO.
Monsanto (MON) is set to report its second-quarter numbers on Wednesday. The world’s largest seed company saw its first-quarter profits slip 34% on disappointing corn seed sales, an issue that analysts expect will also weigh down results for Monsanto’s most recent quarter. Meanwhile, the company is also facing a publicity battle following a report last week from the World Health Organization that links the Monsanto weed-killer Roundup to cancer.
4. Automotive industry heads to NYC.
The annual New York International Auto Show kicks off next week, and attendees will get a sneak peek of the new car models to be released by major automakers. Among the new car makers making a splash at the show is General Motors (GM), which will preview its new 2016 Cadillac CT6. The company hopes the full-size luxury sedan will rival those put out by international brands such as BMW and Mercedes-Benz.
5. Happy Easter!
Easter falls on the first Sunday of April this year, and the weekend is expected to be a bonanza for consumer spending. In the U.S., total spending leading up to the holiday is expected to increase more than 3% from last year, to $16.4 billion, according to estimates by the National Retail Federation. As usual, Easter candy will be driving a chunk of that spending, as purchases of Cadbury Creme eggs, Peeps, jelly beans and other sugary treats are expected to total $2.2 billion.
