Market participants face a concentrated calendar on Tuesday, May 19, 2026, with a small group of data points and a Federal Reserve speech likely to shape intraday market behavior. The central datapoint is the Pending Home Sales report, with a forecasted month-over-month change of 1.2% versus a prior 1.5%, and the day also features remarks by Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller.
Major economic releases
- 9:00 AM ET - Pending Home Sales (Forecast: 1.2%, Previous: 1.5%) - This release measures the change in the number of homes under contract to be sold but still awaiting closing, excluding new construction. It is the primary housing indicator on the day and is presented alongside the Pending Home Sales Index level.
Other important scheduled items
- 7:00 AM ET - Fed Waller Speaks - Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller will deliver remarks that may provide insight into the Fed’s monetary policy considerations and the central bank’s current economic outlook.
- 7:15 AM ET - ADP Employment Change Weekly (Previous: 33.00K) - A four-week moving average of private sector employment changes, offering a higher-frequency view of labor market conditions.
- 7:55 AM ET - Redbook (Previous: 9.6%) - The year-over-year same-store sales growth index for large U.S. general merchandise retailers, representing approximately 9,000 stores, which provides an indication of consumer spending trends at large retailers.
- 9:00 AM ET - Pending Home Sales Index (Previous: 73.7) - The absolute index level for homes under contract to be sold, which gives additional context to the monthly change reported in the Pending Home Sales release.
- 3:30 PM ET - API Weekly Crude Stock (Previous: -2.188M) - The American Petroleum Institute’s weekly report on U.S. crude oil, gasoline, and distillates inventory levels, which market participants watch for indications of petroleum demand and inventory trends.
Taken together, these items present a cross-section of housing activity, labor market trends, consumer retail demand, and energy inventories. The Pending Home Sales release directly addresses housing momentum by tracking transactions that have reached contract stage but are still pending closing. The headline reading and the accompanying index level provide two lenses on the same segment of the housing market.
Governor Waller’s remarks are notable because Fed commentary can influence market expectations about policy direction and economic assessment. The ADP weekly employment average offers a timely view of private payroll changes, while the Redbook same-store sales series gauges retail spending among major chains. Later in the day, the API’s crude stock figures will provide one of the first looks at weekly petroleum inventory movements.
Traders and analysts will weigh these data points alongside evolving market trends to assess near-term risks and opportunities across housing, labor-sensitive sectors, consumer retail, and energy markets.
Note: This article lists the scheduled releases and their previously reported values and forecasts. It does not include subsequent outcomes or market reactions to these events.