Economic Calendar Summary - April 16, 2026

Key Economic Indicators Released

On April 16, 2026, several important economic indicators were released, impacting market sentiment and expectations:

• Australia: Employment data showed an increase of nearly 18,000 jobs, with the unemployment rate remaining steady at 4.3%.
• China: Q1 GDP growth exceeded expectations at 5.0% year-on-year. However, retail sales data was disappointing, and industrial production for March showed a slight decline, although the final reading was slightly better than expected at 5.7% year-on-year.
• United Kingdom: Monthly GDP data indicated a growth of 1% year-on-year for February, while industrial production fell by 0.4% year-on-year, which was still better than anticipated.
• Switzerland: The Producer Price Index (PPI) continued to decline at -2.4% year-on-year, but there was a slight monthly rebound of 0.1% month-on-month.
• TSMC Quarterly Report: The report contributed to positive sentiment on Wall Street, stimulating futures for further growth.

Upcoming Economic Releases

Today's calendar includes several significant economic releases:

• 10:00 AM BST: Eurozone CPI Inflation for March (final) - Forecast: 2.5% year-on-year (previous: 1.9% year-on-year).
• 10:00 AM BST: Eurozone Core Inflation - Forecast: 2.3% year-on-year (previous: 2.4% year-on-year).
• 1:30 PM BST: USA Initial Jobless Claims - Forecast: 215,000 (previous: 219,000).
• 1:30 PM BST: USA Industrial Production for March - Forecast: 0.1% month-on-month (previous: 0.2% month-on-month).
• 3:30 PM BST: USA Natural Gas Storage Change - Forecast: 55 billion cubic feet (previous: 50 billion cubic feet).

Market Sentiment

Despite dashed hopes for quick talks between Iran and the US, market sentiment remained resilient. Wall Street recorded gains in anticipation of the opening of the Strait of Hormuz, reflecting investor optimism.

Bankers' Speeches

Several speeches from key bankers are scheduled throughout the day, which may influence market movements:

• 1:45 PM BST: John Williams (Federal Reserve)
• 3:35 PM BST: Miran (Federal Reserve)
• 5:45 PM BST: Nagel (Bundesbank)
• 7:30 PM BST: Lane (European Central Bank)