Weekly Economic Calendar

February 16 – February 22, 2025 Economic report and policy meeting

February 16   

Japan:  GDP Growth Rate (QoQ) – 4^th Qtr., GDP Growth Annualized – 4^th Qtr.

February 17

Australia:  Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) Interest Rate Decision, RBA Press Conference

Canada:  Housing Starts - January

Euro-Zone:  Italy: Balance of Trade – December, Spain: Balance of Trade – December, Euro-Zone: Balance of Trade – December, France: Inflation Rate (YoY and MoM) – January  

Japan:  Bank of Japan Takada Speech    

Switzerland:  Industrial Production (YoY) – 4^th Qtr.

U.K.:  Employment Change – December, Unemployment Rate – December, Claimant Count Change – January, Average Earnings Including Bonus (3M/Yr.) – December

U.S.:  Federal Reserve’s Harker, Bowman, and Waller Speeches

Equity and fixed-income markets were closed in observance of Presidents Day.

February 18

Canada:  Inflation Rate (YoY) – January, Consumer Price Index (CPI) Median (YoY) – January, CPI Median (YoY) – January, CPI Trimmed-Mean (YoY) – January, Inflation Rate (YoY and MoM) – January

China:  House Price Index (YoY) - January

Euro-Zone:  Germany: ZEW Economic Sentiment Index – February, ZEW Economic Sentiment Index - February

Japan:  Balance of Trade – January, Machinery Orders (YoY and MoM) – December, Exports (YoY) - January

New Zealand:  Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RNBZ) Interest Rate Decision, RNBZ Press Conference

U.K.:  Inflation Rate (YoY) – January, Inflation Rate (MoM) – January, Core Inflation Rate (YoY) – January, Bank of England (BoE) Bailey Speech

U.S.:  New York (NY) Empire State Manufacturing Index – February, National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) Housing Market Index – February, Net Long-term Treasury International Capital (TIC) Flows – December, Federal Reserve’s Daly, and Barr Speeches

February 19

Australia:  Unemployment Rate – January, Employment Change – January, Full Time Employment Change – January

China:  Loan Prime Rate – 1 Year, Loan Prime Rate – 5 Year – February

Euro-Zone:  European Commission Winter Forecasts, Spain: Consumer Confidence – January, France: Unemployment Rate – January, Consumer Confidence – February, Germany: Producer Price Index (PPI) (MoM) - January

Switzerland:  Balance of Trade - January

U.S.:  Housing Starts – January, Building Permits – January, Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) Minutes, Building Permits (MoM) – January, Housing Starts (MoM) – January, Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) 30-Year Mortgage Rate – February 14, API Crude Oil Stock Change – February 14, Federal Reserve’s Jefferson Speech

The Federal Open Market Committee releases the minutes from its late-January monetary-policy meeting.

February 20

Australia:  Judo Bank Services Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) – February, Judo Bank Manufacturing PMI - February

Canada:  New Housing Price Index (YoY and MoM) – January

China:  Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) YTD (YoY) - January

Euro-Zone:  Consumer Confidence – February, France: Business Confidence – February

Japan:  Inflation Rate (YoY) – January, Core Inflation Rate (YoY) – January, Jibun Bank Services Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) – February, Jibun Bank Manufacturing PMI – February

New Zealand:  Balance of Trade - January       

U.K.:  Gfk Consumer Confidence – February, Retail Sales (YoY and MoM) – January, Retail Sales Excluding Fuel (YoY and MoM) – January, Consortium of British Industries (CBI) Industrial Trends Orders - February

U.S.:  Initial Jobless Claims – February 15, Continuing Jobless Claims – February 8, Jobless Claims 4-Week Average – February 15, EIA Gasoline Stocks Change – February 14, EIA Crude Oil Stocks Change – February 14, Philadelphia Federal Reserve Manufacturing Index – February, Federal Reserve’s Goolsbee, Musalem, Kugler and Barr Speeches

February 21

Canada:  Retail Sales (YoY and MoM) – December, Retail Sales Excluding Autos (MoM) – December, Retail Sales (MoM) – January, Bank of Canada (BoC) Governor Macklem Speech

Euro-Zone:  HCOB Manufacturing Purchasing Managers Index (PMI), HCOB Services PMI – February, France: HCOB Manufacturing PMI – February, HCOB Services PMI – February, Germany: HCOB Services PMI – February, HCOB Manufacturing PMI – February, HCOB Composite Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) – February, Germany: HCOB Composite PMI – February, Italy: Inflation Rate (YoY and MoM) – January    

U.K.:  S&P Global Services Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) – February, S&P Global Manufacturing PMI - February 

U.S.:  S&P Global Manufacturing Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) – February, S&P Global Services PMI – February, University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment – February, Existing Home Sales – January, Existing Home Sales (MoM) – January, S&P Global Composite Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) – February, Federal Reserve’s Jefferson Speech

S&P Global releases both its Manufacturing and Services Purchasing Managers’ Indexes for February. Consensus estimates are for a 51.1 reading for the Manufacturing PMI and a 53 Services PMI. This compares with readings of 51.2 and 52.9, respectively, in January. The National Association of Realtors reports existing-home sales for January. Economists forecast a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.13 million homes sold, about 100,000 fewer than in December. In 2024, existing-home sales hit their lowest level since 1995.

February 22

Euro-Zone:  Germany: Federal Election   

Bold denotes likely market-moving newsflash which traders consider significant to foreign exchange levels or otherwise important/noteworthy information, i.e., market holiday’s which will affect standard settlement dates.