Market participants face a concentrated schedule of indicators on Tuesday, March 31, 2026, with the Conference Board Consumer Confidence reading and the JOLTs Job Openings report among the most closely watched items. Traders and analysts are monitoring these data points for fresh signals about household spending trends and the underlying strength of labor demand.
The morning begins with a housing price measure and a regional manufacturing survey before the pair of headline releases at 9:00 AM ET. A sequence of Federal Reserve officials will also speak during the day, offering additional potential market-moving commentary.
Major economic events to watch
- 8:00 AM ET - S&P/CS HPI Composite-20 n.s.a. - Forecast: 1.4%, Previous: 1.4% - This index measures month-over-month changes in selling prices for single-family homes across 20 metropolitan areas.
- 8:45 AM ET - Chicago PMI - Forecast: 54.5, Previous: 57.7 - The Chicago Purchasing Managers Index gauges activity in the manufacturing sector for the Chicago region, with readings above 50 indicating expansion.
- 9:00 AM ET - CB Consumer Confidence - Forecast: 88.0, Previous: 91.2 - The Conference Board's measure is used as a barometer of consumer sentiment and an early indicator for consumer spending behavior.
- 9:00 AM ET - JOLTs Job Openings - Forecast: 6.900M, Previous: 6.946M - The Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey tracks employer-reported vacancies and labor demand across the economy.
Those headline releases sit amid other readings and events that could shape market reaction through the trading day.
Other important items on the calendar
- 11:00 AM ET - Fed - Austan Goolsbee speaks - Remarks from the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago President may provide insight into current monetary policy thinking.
- 2:00 PM ET - Fed - Vice Chair for Supervision Michael Barr speaks - Public comments from the Fed's Vice Chair for Supervision could shed light on regulatory perspectives and related policy considerations.
- 3:30 PM ET - API Weekly Crude Stocks - Previous: 2.300M - The American Petroleum Institute's weekly report on crude, gasoline and distillates inventories is watched for signs of petroleum demand and supply dynamics.
- 4:10 PM ET - Fed - Governor Michelle Bowman speaks - Remarks from a Federal Reserve Governor may offer perspectives relevant to monetary policy direction.
Additional data points arriving throughout the morning
- 7:55 AM ET - Redbook - Previous: 6.7% - This series tracks year-over-year same-store sales growth among large U.S. general merchandise retailers.
- 8:00 AM ET - S&P/CS HPI Composite-20 n.s.a. - Previous: -0.1% - Monthly repeat-sales tracking of single-family home selling price changes across 20 metropolitan areas.
- 8:00 AM ET - House Price Index - Forecast: 0.1%, Previous: 0.1% - Measures changes in single-family house prices for mortgages backed by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac.
- 8:00 AM ET - House Price Index - Previous: 1.8% - The year-over-year reading for average house price changes nationwide.
- 8:00 AM ET - S&P/CS HPI Composite-20 s.a. - Previous: 0.5% - A seasonally adjusted index reflecting average house price moves across 20 metropolitan areas.
- 8:00 AM ET - Monthly Home Price Index - Previous: 440.4 - An OFHEO-style measure of single-family home value changes across U.S. regions.
- 9:30 AM ET - Texas Services Sector Outlook - Previous: -3.2 - A survey-based index capturing sentiment within the Texas services sector.
- 9:30 AM ET - Dallas Fed Services Revenues - Previous: 4.1 - An index tracking reported revenue changes among services firms in the Dallas Fed district.
Taken together, the schedule places consumer sentiment, labor market demand and home-price trends at the forefront of market attention. The day also features regional activity indicators and energy inventory data that can influence specific sectors, including financials, housing-related industries and energy markets.
What market participants will be watching
Investors and traders will be comparing the consumer confidence and JOLTs figures against their respective forecasts and prior readings to judge whether the underlying fundamentals point to strengthening or weakening activity. Comments from Fed officials throughout the day could add context or alter perceptions about monetary policy and financial conditions.
Caveats
The timing and sequencing of releases and speeches mean that market reactions could be driven by any single report or by an evolving narrative as data and commentary arrive. Because forecasts and prior values are noted for each release, market participants will be able to assess deviations from expectations as they occur.