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Stock Markets February 23, 2026

Consumer Confidence and a Full Economic Calendar Take Center Stage for Markets on Tuesday

Conference Board reading leads a packed schedule of housing data, Fed remarks, and trade and inventory releases that could shape near-term market moves

By Sofia Navarro
Consumer Confidence and a Full Economic Calendar Take Center Stage for Markets on Tuesday

Markets head into Tuesday, February 24, 2026, with a dense slate of U.S. economic releases and Federal Reserve commentary. The Conference Board Consumer Confidence report is the standout item, while a broad set of housing indices, weekly employment data, wholesale trade figures, monetary policy speeches and a Treasury auction will together provide a multifaceted snapshot of economic momentum and financial conditions.

Key Points

  • The Conference Board Consumer Confidence report at 10:00 AM ET - expected 87.6, previous 84.5 - is the primary focus because it signals household sentiment and potential consumer spending trends.
  • A broad set of housing price indicators, including S&P/Case-Shiller and OFHEO measures released at 9:00 AM ET, will provide insight into housing market price movements and related sector implications.
  • Multiple Federal Reserve officials will speak throughout the day - including Goolsbee, Bostic, Collins, Waller, Cook and Barkin - offering commentary that market participants could use to assess monetary policy direction; the 2-year Treasury auction at 1:00 PM ET and wholesale trade/inventory data will add further market context.

Traders preparing for Tuesday, February 24, 2026, face a heavy lineup of U.S. economic data and Federal Reserve commentary that participants say could influence market positioning. The Conference Board Consumer Confidence reading is the most prominent release on the schedule and is being watched as a barometer of household sentiment and potential consumer spending trends.

Top item: Consumer Confidence

The Conference Board's Consumer Confidence report is due at 10:00 AM ET and is forecast at 87.6, up from the previous 84.5. This measure tracks how households perceive the strength of economic activity and is commonly viewed as a leading indicator for consumer spending, which materially affects overall economic growth.

Additional scheduled releases and events

Beyond the consumer confidence reading, the day’s calendar contains a range of housing indicators, Fed-related speeches, and other economic metrics that together will provide a wide-angle view of the U.S. economy. Market participants will be watching these items for information on demand, price trends, supply conditions and potential implications for monetary policy and financial markets.

  • 8:15 AM ET - ADP Employment Change Weekly: Previous 10.30K. This weekly payrolls-derived report provides the most current view of private-sector employment and is often treated as an early indicator ahead of the Bureau of Labor Statistics Nonfarm Payrolls release.
  • 8:00 AM ET - Fed Goolsbee Speaks: Remarks from the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago President Austan Goolsbee on economic conditions and policy stance.
  • 8:55 AM ET - Redbook: Previous 7.2%. The Redbook index measures year-over-year same-store sales growth among large general merchandise retailers and tracks comparable-store retail activity.
  • 9:00 AM ET - S&P/CS HPI Composite-20 n.s.a.: Expected 1.3% versus previous 1.4%. This index captures changes in selling prices of single-family homes across 20 metropolitan areas and offers a snapshot of housing market price trends.
  • 9:00 AM ET - House Price Index: Expected 0.3% versus previous 0.6%. This broad measure follows single-family house price movements on mortgages backed by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac.
  • 9:00 AM ET - S&P/CS HPI Composite-20 n.s.a.: Previous 0.0%. The Case-Shiller variant tracks repeat sales using a modified weighted-repeat sales approach to show price changes over time.
  • 9:00 AM ET - House Price Index (OFHEO): Previous 1.9%. This OFHEO-published statistic reflects average house price changes using data from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
  • 9:00 AM ET - Monthly Home Price Index: Previous 439.3. The OFHEO Monthly Home Price Index captures changes in single-family home values across multiple U.S. regions.
  • 9:00 AM ET - S&P/CS HPI Composite - 20 s.a.: Previous 0.5%. The seasonally adjusted version of this index reports average price changes while maintaining fixed relative importance across property types and regions.
  • 9:00 AM ET - FOMC Member Bostic Speaks: Comments from Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta President Raphael Bostic that may offer clues about future policy direction.
  • 9:00 AM ET - Fed Collins Speaks: Remarks from a Federal Reserve official that could shed light on policy considerations.
  • 9:10 AM ET - Fed Waller Speaks: Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller’s public comments, which market watchers will parse for policy outlook signals.
  • 9:35 AM ET - Fed Governor Cook Speaks: Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook will deliver remarks that may provide additional perspective on monetary policy deliberations.
  • 10:00 AM ET - CB Consumer Confidence: Expected at 87.6 versus previous 84.5. This Conference Board measure gauges consumer confidence in economic activity and is a leading indicator for consumer spending.
  • 10:00 AM ET - Wholesale Trade Sales: Previous 1.3%. This series tracks changes in the total value of sales at the wholesale level and can signal trends in business-to-business demand.
  • 10:00 AM ET - Richmond Manufacturing Index: Expected at -4 versus previous -6. This Fifth District manufacturing survey rates relative business conditions including shipments, new orders and employment.
  • 10:00 AM ET - Richmond Manufacturing Shipments: Previous -5. A component of the Fifth District manufacturing activity survey that captures shipment trends.
  • 10:00 AM ET - Richmond Services Index: Previous -3. This index measures services-sector activity across the Fifth Federal Reserve District.
  • 10:00 AM ET - Wholesale Inventories: Expected at 0.2% versus previous 0.2%. This indicator shows the change in the total value of goods held in inventory by wholesalers.
  • 10:30 AM ET - Dallas Fed PCE: Previous 1.50%. The Dallas Fed trimmed-mean PCE is a core inflation gauge that omits extreme price changes to better represent underlying inflation.
  • 10:30 AM ET - Texas Services Sector Outlook: Previous 2.7. This survey-based index is calculated by subtracting the percentage of respondents reporting a decrease from those reporting an increase.
  • 10:30 AM ET - Dallas Fed Services Revenues: Previous 7.8. This index tracks revenue changes in the services sector based on survey responses.
  • 11:30 AM ET - Atlanta Fed GDPNow: Expected at 3.1% versus previous 3.1%. The Atlanta Fed’s running estimate of real GDP growth is updated as new economic data become available for the current quarter.
  • 1:00 PM ET - 2-Year Note Auction: Previous yield 3.580%. The auctioned yield reflects investor return expectations and is a barometer of demand in the short-term Treasury market.
  • 1:00 PM ET - US M2 Money Supply: Previous 22.40T. M2 is a broad measure of money balances that includes savings deposits, time deposits and retail money market fund balances.
  • 3:15 PM ET - FOMC Member Barkin Speaks: Richmond Fed President Thomas Barkin will speak; his comments may provide subtle clues about policy considerations.
  • 3:20 PM ET - Fed Collins Speaks: Additional remarks from a Federal Reserve official on economic and policy matters.
  • 4:30 PM ET - API Weekly Crude Stock: Previous -0.609M. The American Petroleum Institute’s weekly inventory report provides a snapshot of crude oil, gasoline and distillate stock levels and can reflect underlying petroleum demand conditions.

These scheduled releases and public appearances together offer a broad set of datapoints that market participants will analyze to assess demand, price pressures and monetary policy signals. Housing price indices published in the morning will complement consumer-confidence information to inform views on household spending and the housing sector’s health. Fed speeches scattered throughout the day give bond and equity traders additional commentary to weigh as they form expectations about the policy path. Wholesale trade, inventories and the 2-year note auction add further detail on goods demand, supply-channel dynamics and short-term funding conditions.

For further updates and timing of releases, market participants are encouraged to consult the Economic Calendar maintained by their data providers.

Note: The schedule above lists published expectations and previous readings where available; traders should treat actual released figures as the authoritative data for market-moving interpretation.

Risks

  • Actual readings could diverge from expectations - for example, Consumer Confidence or housing indexes moving differently than projected - which could create volatility across consumer-facing sectors and housing-related assets.
  • Fed officials' remarks across several appearances may be mixed or ambiguous, introducing uncertainty for markets that rely on clear signaling about future monetary policy.
  • Treasury auction results, wholesale trade numbers and weekly inventory data (including API crude figures) could produce surprises that affect bond yields, commodity markets and sectors sensitive to goods demand and inventory dynamics.

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