Financial markets enter Wednesday, January 28, 2026, with a set of headline events and data points that could influence asset prices and investor positioning. The primary focus will be the Federal Reserve's interest rate decision at 2:00 PM ET, accompanied by the FOMC statement and, at 2:30 PM ET, the FOMC press conference. Those official communications will be closely watched for guidance on the central bank's assessment of inflation, growth and the likely path for monetary policy.
Earlier in the day, U.S. President Trump is scheduled to speak at 8:30 AM ET, an appearance market participants often monitor for clues on potential policy direction that could affect economic expectations and market sentiment. Later in the morning, the Energy Information Administration will publish its weekly crude oil inventory figure at 10:30 AM ET, with the prior reading at 3.602 million barrels, and a range of sector-specific petroleum data tied to refinery operations and fuel stocks.
Below is the timetable of the most consequential events heading into and during the trading day:
- 8:30 AM ET - U.S. President Trump Speaks - Markets will assess any policy signals or commentary that might influence fiscal expectations or investor risk appetite.
- 10:30 AM ET - EIA Crude Oil Inventories (Previous: 3.602M) - The weekly change in commercial crude stocks is a key short-term indicator for petroleum demand and can drive near-term moves in oil and energy-linked assets.
- 2:00 PM ET - Interest Rate Decision (Forecast: 3.75%, Previous: 3.75%) - The Fed's rate setting is central to valuations across fixed income, currencies and equities.
- 2:00 PM ET - FOMC Statement - The statement will present the Federal Reserve's latest thinking on inflation, labor markets and the outlook for policy.
- 2:30 PM ET - FOMC Press Conference - Fed officials will expand on the statement, answering questions that offer additional context and could influence market interpretation.
In addition to the headline items, a number of other scheduled releases will provide incremental information on energy supply and the housing market, and offer greater granularity on regional services conditions. These include:
- 10:30 AM ET - EIA Weekly Cushing Oil Inventories (Previous: 1.478M) - Cushing storage changes are specifically relevant to West Texas Intermediate pricing dynamics.
- 7:00 AM ET - Mortgage Bankers Association Data - A suite of mortgage indicators including MBA Mortgage Applications (Previous: 14.1%), the MBA 30-Year Mortgage Rate (Previous: 6.16%), Mortgage Market Index (Previous: 397.2), Mortgage Refinance Index (Previous: 1,580.8) and MBA Purchase Index (Previous: 194.1) will signal activity and affordability trends in the housing sector.
- 10:30 AM ET - Regional Services and Refinery Data - Releases include Dallas Fed Services Revenues (Previous: 0.1), Texas Services Sector Outlook (Previous: -3.3), EIA Weekly Refinery Utilization Rates (Previous: -2.0%) and multiple gasoline, distillate and refinery-run measures that outline supply, demand and processing trends.
- 10:30 AM ET - Additional EIA Measures - These comprise Gasoline Inventories (Previous: 5.977M), EIA Refinery Crude Runs (Previous: -0.354M), EIA Weekly Distillates Stocks (Previous: 3.348M), EIA Weekly Crude Imports (Previous: -0.027M), EIA Weekly Heatoil Stock (Previous: 0.279M), EIA Weekly Distillate Fuel Production (Previous: -0.209M) and EIA Weekly Gasoline Production (Previous: -0.246M).
Collectively, the day's events provide a concentrated window into monetary policy stance, presidential messaging, oil supply dynamics and housing market activity. The Fed's rate decision and communications are the central pivot: the committee's announced target and its accompanying statement will directly shape expectations across fixed income and currency markets, while the press conference offers additional nuance that investors routinely parse to gauge the likelihood of future policy moves.
The EIA's suite of reports offers a separate, supply-focused pathway to market impact, particularly for energy and commodity-sensitive sectors. Weekly changes in crude and refined-product inventories, refinery utilization and imports help market participants assess near-term balances and supply-side pressures.
Mortgage-related measures published by the MBA earlier in the day will add context on housing demand and refinancing activity, which feed into broader assessments of consumer behavior and sensitivity to borrowing costs.
Traders and analysts should expect heightened attention and potential volatility around the Fed's announcements and the EIA's inventory release, with presidential remarks serving as an early-day influence on sentiment. The progression of releases means market participants will receive a sequence of high-impact information items, requiring careful parsing throughout the trading session.
Note: For those tracking the schedule of releases and seeking intra-day updates, the full economic calendar provides the latest timing and revisions to previously reported figures.