Traders and analysts will confront a cluster of data releases on Wednesday, July 15, 2026, that could influence pricing and risk sentiment across fixed income, commodities and equities. At the top of the agenda are the Producer Price Index (PPI), the Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) weekly crude oil inventory report and the Federal Reserve’s Beige Book, each of which sheds light on different elements of inflation, energy markets and the economy.
Major economic releases
- 7:30 AM ET - PPI (Forecast: 0.0%, Previous: 1.1%): The Producer Price Index tracks changes in the price of goods sold by manufacturers and is commonly viewed as an early indicator for consumer price pressures.
- 9:30 AM ET - EIA Crude Oil Inventories (Previous: 2.998M): The weekly change in commercial crude oil stocks held by U.S. firms, a data point that can influence petroleum product prices and, indirectly, inflation.
Additional scheduled items of note
- 7:30 AM ET - NY Empire State Manufacturing Index (Forecast: 9.40, Previous: 5.70): A regional gauge that assesses general business conditions in New York state; readings above 0.0 indicate improvement.
- 7:30 AM ET - Core PPI (Forecast: 0.4%, Previous: 0.4%): The core measure excludes food and energy and is treated as an early signal for underlying consumer inflation.
- 7:45 AM ET - FOMC Member Williams Speaks: Remarks from Federal Reserve official John Williams are scheduled.
- 9:30 AM ET - EIA Weekly Cushing Oil Inventories (Previous: -0.052M): The weekly change in crude oil barrels stored at Cushing, Oklahoma, the delivery hub for West Texas Intermediate crude.
- 1:00 PM ET - Beige Book: The Federal Reserve’s compilation of current conditions across the twelve Federal Reserve districts, used by the FOMC in policy deliberations.
Extended economic calendar
Outside the headline items, a range of additional weekly and monthly indicators are scheduled for release. These include mortgage application metrics published by the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) and several detailed EIA energy series that provide deeper context for the crude and refined product markets.
- 6:00 AM ET - MBA Mortgage Applications (Previous: -2.2%): Weekly change in mortgage application volume reported by the MBA.
- 6:00 AM ET - Mortgage Refinance Index (Previous: 794.4): A measure that covers mortgage applications to refinance and is a gauge of refinance activity.
- 6:00 AM ET - MBA Purchase Index (Previous: 169.5): Reflects mortgage applications for single-family home purchases and is used as a forward indicator of home sales.
- 6:00 AM ET - MBA 30-Year Mortgage Rate (Previous: 6.58%): The reported fixed 30-year mortgage rate for 80% loan-to-value loans.
- 6:00 AM ET - Mortgage Market Index (Previous: 266.3): Broad coverage of all mortgage applications during the week, including conventional and government programs.
- 7:30 AM ET - Core PPI (Year-over-year) (Forecast: 5.2%, Previous: 4.9%): Annual change in producer selling prices excluding food and energy.
- 7:30 AM ET - PPI (Year-over-year) (Forecast: 6.2%, Previous: 6.5%): Annual measure of the change in the price of goods sold by manufacturers.
- 7:30 AM ET - PPI ex. Food/Energy/Trade (Monthly) (Previous: 0.8%): Monthly producer price measure excluding food, energy and trade services.
- 7:30 AM ET - PPI ex. Food/Energy/Trade (Year-over-year) (Previous: 5.1%): Year-over-year change for producer prices excluding food, energy and trade services.
- 9:30 AM ET - EIA Weekly Crude Imports (Previous: 1.096M): Weekly change in barrels of crude oil imported into the United States.
- 9:30 AM ET - EIA Weekly Distillates Stocks (Previous: -4.980M): Inventory levels for distillate fuel oil, including diesel and heating oil.
- 9:30 AM ET - EIA Weekly Heatoil Stock (Previous: -0.427M): Weekly change in heating oil stocks.
- 9:30 AM ET - EIA Weekly Gasoline Production (Previous: -0.233M): Change in barrels of gasoline produced week over week.
- 9:30 AM ET - Gasoline Inventories (Previous: -1.904M): Weekly change in commercial gasoline stocks.
- 9:30 AM ET - EIA Weekly Distillate Fuel Production (Previous: -0.001M): Change in distillate fuel production.
- 9:30 AM ET - EIA Weekly Refinery Utilization Rates (Previous: -0.8%): Percentage point change in refinery capacity utilization.
- 9:30 AM ET - EIA Refinery Crude Runs (Previous: -0.172M): Change in barrels of crude oil processed by refineries.
- 12:00 PM ET - Fed Governor Cook Speaks: Remarks are scheduled from Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook.
Why these releases matter
The PPI and its core variants provide an upstream perspective on pricing pressures. Movements in producer prices can foreshadow shifts in consumer inflation, and the monthly and year-over-year readings provide distinct lenses on near-term momentum and longer-term trends. The EIA inventory reports offer a weekly snapshot of supply and demand balances in the crude and refined product markets; changes in those stockpiles can feed through to retail fuel prices and weigh on broader inflation measures. The Beige Book complements these data points by presenting anecdotal and district-level information on current economic activity, which the Federal Open Market Committee considers as it evaluates policy settings.
Market participants will parse the timing and magnitude of each release. The PPI figures at 7:30 AM ET and the suite of EIA reports clustered at 9:30 AM ET are likely to be focal points for traders in the early part of the trading day. The Beige Book, issued at 1:00 PM ET, will be reviewed for any regional divergences in activity or labor market conditions that could influence policy discussions.
For traders and portfolio managers, the midweek combination of wholesale inflation data, energy inventory updates and the Fed’s district-level read on activity creates a concentrated information flow that can affect interest rate expectations, oil and fuel pricing, and sectoral positioning. Those monitoring housing markets will also watch the MBA mortgage metrics for signs of demand shifts in mortgage origination and refinancing volumes.
For a consolidated schedule and minute-by-minute updates, consult the Economic Calendar resource provided by your market data platform.