What to Look Out for in Economic Data This Week (April 6-10)
The February PCE report and the March CPI report highlight the economic calendar this week, and we'll also see the minutes from the March Fed meeting.
It's another big week on the economic calendar, including the first incoming inflation data to reflect the impact of the energy shock emanating from a war in the Middle East between the U.S., Israel and Iran that effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz.
Wednesday's minutes from the March Fed meeting set up the Personal Consumption Expenditures Price Index (PCE) on Thursday and the Consumer Price Index (CPI) on Friday. We'll also see weekly jobless claims and preliminary University of Michigan consumer sentiment survey results.
The Fed prefers PCE over CPI. But this CPI is for March, while that PCE is for February. Markets still expect the central bank to maintain its wait-and-see approach to interest rates at least through the next Fed meeting on April 28-29.
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Economic reports we're watching
Wednesday, April 8: Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting minutes: The Fed held rates after its most recent monetary policy meeting. Officials continue to express varying levels of concern about broad uncertainty and their ability to balance price stability and full employment.
Thursday, April 9: Personal Consumption Expenditures Price Index (PCE) and Core PCE: The central bank likes PCE because it captures a broader and deeper range of costs for consumers. Incoming data still won't reflect the energy shock from the Middle East.
Friday, April 10: Consumer Price Index (CPI) and Core CPI: This will be the first set of incoming inflation data to reflect the impact of rising crude oil prices at the consumer level. The front-month West Texas Intermediate crude oil futures contract had its biggest-ever monthly gain in dollar terms in March.
Read on to see the entire weekly economic calendar of the most important upcoming economic reports scheduled to be released in the next several days. At times, we provide expanded previews and recaps for select reports.
Please check back often. This economic calendar is updated regularly. Bolded reports are those considered more noteworthy. All reporting times are in Eastern Time.
Monday (4/6)
There are no noteworthy economic reports scheduled for release on Monday, April 6.
Tuesday (4/7)
Time released | Economic report | Period |
8:30 am | Durable goods orders | January |
12:35 pm | Chicago Fed President Austan Goolsbee speaks | N/A |
3 pm | Consumer credit | February |
Wednesday (4/8)
Who said what at the March Fed meeting
You never get that level of detail – names attached to quotes – and we already know how members of the Federal Open Market Committee voted on what to do with the federal funds rate.
Plus, the March Fed meeting included a quarterly Summary of Economic Projections. So, what can we learn from the minutes of the meeting?
Many members were already focused on existing inflationary pressures due to tariffs. Rising energy prices will exacerbate their concerns.
Markets will wonder whether those concerns could translate into a rate hike, as opposed to a rate cut, as the Fed's next move.
Time released | Economic report | Period |
2 pm | Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting minutes | N/A |
Thursday (4/9)
PCE gets solid
According to Mizuho Securities Chief U.S. Economist Steven Ricchiuto, a better-than-forecast 0.6% month-over-month increase in February retail sales is consistent with a 0.6% rise for PCE and a 0.4% rise for core PCE.
Ricchiuto remains bullish on the broader economy based on a "confluence of solid data points for the first two months of the quarter," including expectations-beating Institute for Supply Management manufacturing data and rising consumer confidence survey results.
The economist says "market participants have an overly pessimistic view of the overall economy," citing a first-quarter rebound for his above-consensus 2.7% annual GDP growth target for 2026.
Time released | Economic report | Period |
8:30 am | Personal Consumption Expenditures Price Index (PCE) | February |
8:30 am | Core PCE | February |
8:30 am | Weekly jobless claims | Week ending March 28 |
8:30 am | GDP | Q4 |
10 am | Wholesale inventories | February |
Friday (4/10)
CPI gasses up
Let's hand it off to Barclays Senior U.S. Economist Pooja Sriram: "We expect March headline inflation to be the hottest since May 2022, at 0.9% m/m (3.3% y/y), led by a surge in gasoline prices."
The economist forecast a four-basis-point acceleration for core CPI to 0.3% month over month and 2.7% year over year. The February CPI report was tame. But rising oil prices are going to leave a mark.
"The duration of the conflict remains key to the path for inflation," Sriram concludes.
Time released | Economic report | Period |
8:30 am | Consumer Price Index (CPI) | March |
8:30 am | Core CPI | March |
10 am | Factory orders | February |
10 am | University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index (preliminary) | April |
Reporting schedules are provided Forex Factory and MarketWatch.
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