Rates were little changed Thursday ahead of a flurry of economic data scheduled for release in the coming week. Key reports due out over the next four business days include Retail Sales, Industrial Production, the Producer Price Index, the Consumer Price Index, and the minutes from last month’s FOMC meeting of the Federal Reserve. Mortgage-backed securities markets are likely to remain volatile throughout the period. Initial Jobless Claims for the week came in at 517,000, the highest level since 2001. Stocks were mixed. In other news, Treasury Secretary Paulson announced yesterday he will not use the $700 billion TARP funds to purchase toxic mortgages, as originally planned. Instead he intends to continue purchasing bank stocks and extend fund access to a wide range of financial service providers, including issuers of auto loans, credit cards, and student loans. Meanwhile, President-elect Obama endorsed a $50 billion rescue package for domestic automobile manufacturers.