Key economic events this week, 17–21 August:
Wednesday, 19 August 2026
17:30
Crude oil inventories
Forecast: —
Previous: 17.423 million
21:00
Release of FOMC meeting minutes
Thursday, 20 August 2026
15:30
Philadelphia Fed Index of Manufacturing Activity (August)
Forecast: 24.3
Previous: 41.4
15:30
Number of initial claims for unemployment assistance
Forecast: 210 thousand
Previous: 209 thousand
Friday, 21 August 2026
16:45
Business Activity Index in the Manufacturing Sector (PMI), August
Forecast: 54.0
Previous: 53.9
16:45
Business Activity Index in the Services Sector (PMI), August
Forecast: 53.9
Previous: 54.6
What to watch: FOMC minutes may provide additional signals about the future Fed policy, while the PMI and unemployment data will show the current state of the US economy.
