The Week Ahead
Sign up now and each week you’ll receive for FREE:
A calendar of next week's biggest market-moving events, including key economic reports and company announcements
A video interview with one of our financial analysts, offering expert commentary and insight
A heads up on potential price movements and markets to watch
Week commencing 16 February
Chris Beauchamp's insight
The week starts quietly with a United States (US) market holiday, but there is plenty of data across the other four days. It is a week of United Kingdom (UK) data, with the usual trio of employment data, inflation and retail sales, and the week culminates in US gross domestic product (GDP) for the final quarter of 2025. US earnings season is beginning to wind down, but in the UK mining stocks like Rio Tinto report, plus defence group BAE Systems.
Economic reports
- Monday
- Tuesday
- Wednesday
- Thursday
- Friday
- Weekly view
Presidents’ Day – US markets closed
None
7am – UK employment data (December): unemployment rate expected to hold at 5.1%, average earnings forecast to rise by 4.4%, down from 4.7%. Markets to watch: GBP crosses
10am – German ZEW index (February): index expected to fall to 57 from 59.6. Markets to watch: EUR crosses
1.30pm – US Empire State mfg index (February): index expected to fall to 3 from 7.7. Markets to watch: USD crosses
1.30pm – Canada inflation (January): previous reading 2.4%. Markets to watch: CAD crosses
7am – UK inflation (January): prices expected to rise 3% year-on-year (YoY), down from 3.4%, core consumer price index (CPI) to rise 3%, down from 3.2%. Headline inflation to drop by 0.1% month-on-month (MoM). Markets to watch: GBP crosses
1.30pm – US durable goods orders (December): orders rose 5.3% last month. Markets to watch: USD crosses
7pm – Fed minutes. Markets to watch: USD crosses
1.30pm – US initial jobless claims (w/e 14 February). Markets to watch: USD crosses
3pm – eurozone consumer confidence (February, flash): index expected to fall to -12.8 from -12.4. Markets to watch: EUR crosses
3pm – US pending home sales (January): sales fell 9.3% MoM in December. Markets to watch: USD crosses
5pm – US EIA crude oil inventories (w/e 13 February). Markets to watch: Brent, WTI
11.30pm – Japan inflation (January): headline CPI expected to slow to 1.9% from 2.1%, and core to weaken to 2.3% from 2.4%. Markets to watch: JPY crosses
12.30am – Japan purchasing managers index (PMI) (February, flash): manufacturing PMI expected to rise to 52 from 51.5, and services to fall to 53.3 from 53.7. Markets to watch: JPY crosses
7am – UK retail sales (January): sales expected to rise by 0.3% month-on-month (MoM) from 0.4%. Markets to watch: GBP crosses
8.30am – Germany PMI (February, flash): manufacturing PMI expected to rise to 49.8 from 49.1. Markets to watch: EUR crosses
9am – UK PMI (February, flash): manufacturing PMI to fall to 50.9 from 51.8, services to fall to 51.6 from 54. Markets to watch: GBP crosses
1.30pm – US GDP (Q4, flash), personal consumption expenditures (PCE) price index (December): GDP growth expected to slow to 3% from 4.4%. PCE price index was 0.2% MoM in November. Markets to watch: USD crosses
3pm – US new home sales (November & December): Markets to watch: USD crosses
Monday
Presidents’ Day – US markets closed
None
Tuesday
7am – UK employment data (December): unemployment rate expected to hold at 5.1%, average earnings forecast to rise by 4.4%, down from 4.7%. Markets to watch: GBP crosses
10am – German ZEW index (February): index expected to fall to 57 from 59.6. Markets to watch: EUR crosses
1.30pm – US Empire State mfg index (February): index expected to fall to 3 from 7.7. Markets to watch: USD crosses
1.30pm – Canada inflation (January): previous reading 2.4%. Markets to watch: CAD crosses
Wednesday
7am – UK inflation (January): prices expected to rise 3% YoY, down from 3.4%, core CPI to rise 3%, down from 3.2%. Headline inflation to drop by 0.1% MoM. Markets to watch: GBP crosses
1.30pm – US durable goods orders (December): orders rose 5.3% last month. Markets to watch: USD crosses
7pm – Fed minutes. Markets to watch: USD crosses
Thursday
1.30pm – US initial jobless claims (w/e 14 February). Markets to watch: USD crosses
3pm – eurozone consumer confidence (February, flash): index expected to fall to -12.8 from -12.4. Markets to watch: EUR crosses
3pm – US pending home sales (January): sales fell 9.3% MoM in December. Markets to watch: USD crosses
5pm – US EIA crude oil inventories (w/e 13 February). Markets to watch: Brent, WTI
11.30pm – Japan inflation (January): headline CPI expected to slow to 1.9% from 2.1%, and core to weaken to 2.3% from 2.4%. Markets to watch: JPY crosses
Friday
12.30am – Japan PMI (February, flash): manufacturing PMI expected to rise to 52 from 51.5, and services to fall to 53.3 from 53.7. Markets to watch: JPY crosses
7am – UK retail sales (January): sales expected to rise by 0.3% MoM from 0.4%. Markets to watch: GBP crosses
8.30am – Germany PMI (February, flash): manufacturing PMI expected to rise to 49.8 from 49.1. Markets to watch: EUR crosses
9am – UK PMI (February, flash): manufacturing PMI to fall to 50.9 from 51.8, services to fall to 51.6 from 54. Markets to watch: GBP crosses
1.30pm – US GDP (Q4, flash), PCE price index (December): GDP growth expected to slow to 3% from 4.4%. PCE price index was 0.2% MoM in November. Markets to watch: USD crosses
3pm – US new home sales (November & December): Markets to watch: USD crosses
Company announcements
Monday |
Tuesday |
Wednesday |
Thursday |
Friday |
|
Full-year earnings |
|||||
| Half/ Quarterly earnings |
|
||||
| Trading update |
|
|
|
Dividends
FTSE ex-dividend dates (19th February 2026):
FTSE 100: Imperial Brands, easyJet, Games Workshop, GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), Shell, BP, Barclays, AstraZeneca
FTSE 250: Moonpig, Plus500, BioPharma Credit
Index adjustments
|
Monday 16 February |
Tuesday 17 February |
Wednesday 18 February |
Thursday 19 February |
Friday 20 February |
Monday 23 February |
| FTSE 100 | 28.27 | 0.3 | ||||
| Australia 200 | 1.9 | 13.1 | 0.7 | 4.3 | 2.0 | |
| Wall Street | 5.6 | 8.0 | ||||
| US 500 | 0.26 | 0.95 | 0.23 | 0.27 | 0.43 | |
| Nasdaq 100 | 0.21 | 3.79 | 0.13 | 0.90 | ||
| Netherlands 25 | 1.44 | |||||
| US Russell 2000 | 0.16 | 0.06 | 0.15 | 0.13 | 0.02 | |
| China H-Shares | ||||||
| Japan 225 | ||||||
| Hong Kong HS50 | ||||||
| South Africa 40 | ||||||
| France 40 | ||||||
| Stoxx 600 | 0.6 |
* Please note these can change without notice
1 Dividend adjustments due to be posted on a bank holiday will usually be posted on the previous working day
Open an account now
*Demo accounts are only available for spread betting and CFD trading.
Open an account now
Fast execution on a huge range of markets
Enjoy flexible access to 15,000+ global markets, with reliable execution
Deal seamlessly, wherever you are
Trade on the move with our natively designed, award-winning trading app
Feel secure with a trusted provider
With 50 years of experience, we’re proud to offer a truly market-leading service
*Demo accounts are only available for spread betting and CFD trading.
Open an account now
Open an account now
Fast execution on a huge range of markets
Enjoy flexible access to 15,000+ global markets, with reliable execution
Deal seamlessly, wherever you are
Trade on the move with our natively designed, award-winning trading app
Feel secure with a trusted provider
With 50 years of experience, we’re proud to offer a truly market-leading service
Connect with us
Spread bets and CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 68% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading spread bets and CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how spread bets and CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.
Professional clients trading spread bets and CFDs can lose more than they deposit.
The value of shares, ETFs and other ETPs bought through a share dealing account, a stocks and shares ISA or a SIPP can fall as well as rise, which could mean getting back less than you originally put in. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Some ETPs carry additional risks depending on how they’re structured, investors should ensure they familiarise themselves with the differences before investing.
Share dealing and IG Smart Portfolio accounts provided by IG Trading and Investments Ltd, CFD accounts and futures accounts are provided by IG Markets Ltd, spread betting provided by IG Index Ltd.
IG is a trading name of IG Trading and Investments Ltd (a company registered in England and Wales under number 11628764), IG Markets Ltd (a company registered in England and Wales under number 04008957) and IG Index Ltd (a company registered in England and Wales under number 01190902). Registered address at Cannon Bridge House, 25 Dowgate Hill, London EC4R 2YA. IG Markets Ltd (Register number 195355), IG Trading and Investments Ltd (Register Number 944492) and IG Index Ltd (Register number 114059) are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.
The information on this site isn’t directed at residents of the United States, Belgium or any particular country outside the UK and isn’t intended for distribution to, or use by, any person in any country or jurisdiction where such distribution or use would be contrary to local law or regulation.
