Financial markets face a concentrated series of U.S. data releases on Thursday, February 12, 2026, with weekly and monthly indicators that investors monitor for clues about economic momentum and the Federal Reserve's policy outlook. The two reports most likely to draw attention are the weekly initial jobless claims, which give an immediate read on labor-market churn, and the monthly existing home sales figure, which sheds light on housing demand and related economic activity.
The following schedule outlines the principal releases for the trading day and the key expectations or prior readings tied to each item. Times are listed in Eastern Time.
Major Economic Events to Watch
- 8:30 AM ET - Initial Jobless Claims: The consensus expectation is 222,000 claims, versus the prior week's 231,000. As a weekly snapshot of layoffs and new unemployment insurance claims, this report is one of the earliest indicators of labor-market stability.
- 10:00 AM ET - Existing Home Sales: Forecasts call for a 4.16 million annualized pace, down from the previous 4.35 million. This monthly release is a primary gauge of activity in the resale housing market.
Other Important Economic Events to Watch
- 4:00 AM ET - IEA Monthly Report: The International Energy Agency's monthly analysis will present its assessment of global oil markets, including supply and demand trends and broader market dynamics.
- 8:30 AM ET - Continuing Jobless Claims: Expected at 1,850,000 compared with the prior 1,844,000. This series measures the number of people receiving ongoing unemployment benefits and provides a broader sense of labor-market recovery.
- 10:00 AM ET - Existing Home Sales (percentage change): The previous month-over-month change was a 5.1 percent reading; the release provides the month-to-month percentage movement in existing home sales.
- 1:01 PM ET - 30-Year Bond Auction: The prior auction yielded 4.825 percent. This long-term Treasury sale will offer a barometer of demand for extended-duration government debt.
- 4:30 PM ET - Fed's Balance Sheet: The previous reported size of the Federal Reserve's balance sheet was $6,606 billion. The weekly balance-sheet report details the central bank's holdings and liabilities.
- 4:30 PM ET - Reserve Balances with Federal Reserve Banks: The last reported level was $2.937 trillion. This figure shows the aggregate reserves that depository institutions hold at regional Federal Reserve Banks.
Additional Items on the Day's Agenda
- Time TBA - Fed Logan Speaks: Dallas Federal Reserve President Lorie K. Logan is scheduled to speak, with timing to be announced. Comments from regional Fed officials can provide context about policy perspectives.
- 8:30 AM ET - Jobless Claims 4-Week Average: The prior four-week average was 212.25 thousand, a smoothed measure that helps identify underlying trends in weekly claims.
- 10:30 AM ET - Natural Gas Storage: Market expectations are for a change of -256 billion cubic feet, compared with the prior week's -360 billion. This weekly inventory report tracks changes in natural gas stocks.
- 11:30 AM ET - 4-Week Bill Auction: The previous yield was 3.630 percent; this short-term Treasury sale helps signal investor appetite for near-term government paper.
- 11:30 AM ET - 8-Week Bill Auction: The prior yield for this bill auction was 3.630 percent as well, offering another data point on demand for short-term U.S. Treasuries.
Market participants will parse these data points collectively to assess the near-term trajectory of the U.S. economy. The labor-market figures provide immediate insight into employment flows, while housing data help capture consumer and mortgage-related activity. Treasury auctions, weekly Fed balance-sheet figures, and reserve balances contribute information about interest-rate pricing and banking system liquidity. The IEA monthly report and the weekly natural gas storage release add energy-sector context that can influence inflation and broader macro readings.
For traders and analysts seeking up-to-the-minute timing and final releases, the day’s economic calendar should be consulted for any revisions to publication times or additional releases.