What to Watch in the Day Ahead - Friday, October 18

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Procter & Gamble Co is expected to post a rise in first-quarter revenue, boosted by resilient demand for its products such as Tide detergent and Pantene shampoo. Investors will look out for the company's comments on impact from port strike, volume growth, recovery in China and demand boost from Fed rate cuts.

American Express is scheduled to report its third-quarter earnings. The credit card giant is expected to report lower profit as it sets aside bigger provisions for potential borrower defaults.

Data from the Commerce Department is slated to show housing starts likely dipped to 1.350 million units at a seasonally adjusted annual rate in September, from 1.356 million units recorded in August. Building permits - considered among the more forward-looking housing market indicators - are forecast to have decreased to 1.460 million units in September, from 1.470 million units in August.

Top oilfield services firm SLB will report its third-quarter profit, with estimates compiled by LSEG showing a rise in its adjusted earnings per share compared with a year ago.

Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta President Raphael Bostic is scheduled to give a lecture on "Economic Education and Fed 101" before high school students as part of a Mississippi Council on Economic Education event in Jackson, Mississippi. (0930/1330) Later in the day, Bostic will speak on the economic outlook and the importance of financial literacy and economic education before a Mississippi Council on Economic Education Forum on American Enterprise luncheon. (1230/1630) Separately, Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis President Neel Kashkari will moderate a morning keynote policy panel before the "Macroeconomic Policy Perspectives: Banking, Regulation, and Macroeconomic Outcomes" conference hosted by the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. (1000/1400) Additionally, Federal Reserve Board Governor Christopher Waller will speak on "Decentralized Finance" before the Nineteenth Annual Vienna Macroeconomics Workshop at the Institute for Advanced Studies in Vienna, Austria. (1210/1610)

Fifth Third Bancorp's third-quarter profit is expected to shrink as the regional lender sets aside more money to cover potential loan losses. Separately, Regions Financial is set to report its third-quarter results. Analysts expect a rise in profit, helped by a rise in fees earned.

Argentina's September trade balance data is due for release. The country's trade surplus is expected to have narrowed down to $1.276 billion in September, from $1.963 billion in August.

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(Reporting by Nachiket Tekawade; Editing by Shreya Biswas)

((Nachiket.Tekawade@thomsonreuters.com;))