Monday

Ford (F) swung to a profit of almost $1 billion in its third quarter, easily beating Wall Street expectations.  This was helped by the "cash for clunkers" program and cost cutting, according to the auto maker.  Ford was the only major U.S. auto maker that did not accept government aid in the form of emergency loans.

Holiday sales over the Internet are expected to rise 8%, according to Forrester Research, which said mass market retailers will likely have the best performance.  The firm expects sales in November and December to hit $44.7 billion, up from $41.4 billion last year, when overall holiday sales were at their worst in over 40 years.

Tuesday

Brain Drain Dept.: Compensation restrictions put in place