Macro Events This Week
March 16 - March 20, 2026
🔥 FOMC WEEK: Rate Decision + Dot Plot + Powell Wednesday 2:00 PM + Monthly OpEx Friday - Hold Expected at 3.50-3.75% 🔥
Monday, Mar 16
8:30 AM
Retail sales
Period:Feb. Previous:0.2%
8:30 AM
Empire State manufacturing survey
Period:Mar. Forecast:7.1 Previous:4.1
9:15 AM
Industrial production
Period:Feb. Forecast:0.7% Previous:0.1%
9:15 AM
Capacity utilization
Period:Feb. Previous:76.2%
10:00 AM
Business inventories
Period:Dec. Previous:0.2%
Tuesday, Mar 17
10:00 AM
Pending home sales
Period:Feb. Forecast:-0.8% Previous:-1.0%
10:00 AM
Home builder confidence index
Period:Mar. Forecast:36 Previous:37
Wednesday, Mar 18
8:30 AM
Producer price index (PPI)
Period:Feb. Forecast:0.5% Previous:0.3%
8:30 AM
Core PPI
Period:Feb. Forecast:0.3% Previous:0.4%
8:30 AM
PPI year over year
Forecast:2.9% Previous:3.0%
8:30 AM
Core PPI year over year
Forecast:3.4% Previous:3.5%
10:00 AM
Factory orders
Period:Jan. Forecast:-0.7% Previous:0.2%
2:00 PM
FOMC interest-rate decision + dot plot + projections
2:30 PM
Fed Chair Powell press conference
Thursday, Mar 19
8:30 AM
Initial jobless claims
Period:Mar. 14 Forecast:213,000 Previous:215,000
8:30 AM
Philadelphia Fed manufacturing survey
Period:Mar. Forecast:16.3 Previous:11.0
10:00 AM
Wholesale inventories
Period:Jan. Previous:0.2%
10:00 AM
New home sales
Period:Jan. Forecast:745,000 Previous:715,000
10:00 AM
Leading economic index
Period:Jan. Previous:-0.1%
Friday, Mar 20
ALL DAY
Monthly Options Expiration (March OpEx)
8:30 AM
Employment cost index
Period:Q4 Forecast:0.7% Previous:0.8%
Times shown in ET • 🔴 High Impact = Major Volatility Expected
FOMC + Dot Plot + Powell Wednesday is THE event • March OpEx Friday — expect pin risk and increased volatility into close