Wednesday, February 18th, is shaping up to be a busy day for investors, with several key events on the calendar. The day brings a fresh batch of corporate earnings, important minutes from the Federal Reserve’s latest meeting, and new data on the health of the U.S. housing market.
On the earnings front, companies including Carvana, DoorDash, and eBay are scheduled to report. Investors will also be watching results from Booking Holdings, where analysts are anticipating roughly 12% revenue growth. A major point of interest will be how the company’s management addresses the potential challenge from AI-powered travel tools, which could change how people plan their vacations.
In the energy sector, Occidental Petroleum is set to announce its fourth-quarter results. With oil prices softening, analysts expect the company to report stable production from its main U.S. assets. However, weaker crude prices may put pressure on earnings. Many will be listening for updates on how a recent multi-billion dollar divestiture has strengthened the company’s finances, potentially paving the way for more capital returns to shareholders later in the year.
The macro-economic spotlight will be on the release of the minutes from the Federal Reserve’s January policy meeting. During that meeting, the central bank held interest rates steady. Market participants will carefully parse the details for any clues about the future path of policy, focusing on the committee’s views on inflation, the labor market, and their level of agreement on the outlook for interest rates.
Finally, new housing data is due out. Economists are forecasting that housing starts for December will come in at an annualized rate of 1.31 million, with building permits expected at 1.4 million. This report follows a recent dip in homebuilder confidence, as high mortgage rates and affordability concerns continue to weigh on the market.
