Earnings season is the main market event in the week of October 19–23, 2026. FactSet analysts surveyed for the Associated Press expect S&P 500 profits to grow just under 30%, led by energy and then technology. Investors will also get the first September housing figures and a final reading on October consumer confidence and inflation expectations.
The key tension is that households appear increasingly worried about inflation while continuing to spend. Housing remains constrained by mortgage rates and higher building costs, so stronger construction data would not automatically mean better affordability.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
The week’s main questions
- Do corporate results and guidance support the near-30% S&P 500 earnings-growth expectation?
- Do September housing starts, permits and pending sales show a genuine improvement after two monthly declines, or only a temporary pickup in construction?
- Will the final University of Michigan survey confirm that confidence and inflation expectations are worsening even as retail spending holds up?
Release dates and earnings times can change. The company schedule below follows the October 16 calendar published by Investrade; check each issuer’s investor-relations page immediately before a report.
The Tool Desk
Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Earnings reports to watch
Quarterly financial updates from major U.S. corporations, including technology companies and airlines, dominate the calendar. Energy is expected to post the fastest profit growth, with technology next, according to FactSet analysts cited by the Associated Press on October 16.
#1 Best Overall
| Date | Companies and timing | What to examine |
|---|---|---|
| Monday, October 19 | Before the open: Cleveland-Cliffs, Dynex Capital, Fifth Third Bancorp and SmartFinancial. After the close: Steel Dynamics, Western Alliance, Zions and other regional banks. | Steel and bank results can indicate whether material costs, credit conditions and loan demand are improving or deteriorating. |
| Tuesday, October 20 | General Motors, Hasbro and Netflix; United Airlines after the close. | Compare revenue and profit growth with guidance. For airlines, fuel and labor costs are important margin pressures; for manufacturers, materials and demand matter. |
| Wednesday, October 21 | During the day: Abbott, CME, Danaher, Elevance, Mastercard, Philip Morris and T-Mobile. After the close: IBM, Meta, Tesla and Texas Instruments. | Look for evidence that artificial-intelligence spending is generating measurable demand or cash flow, rather than only higher capital expenditure. Mastercard results also provide a read on consumer transactions. |
| Thursday, October 22 | American Airlines, Comcast, Honeywell, Lockheed Martin, NVR, PulteGroup, Procter & Gamble, Spotify, Union Pacific and Valero. | This broad group spans housing, industrial activity, transportation, energy and household products. Watch guidance for labor, fuel and construction-cost effects. |
| Friday, October 23 | American Express, SLB and other companies. | Financial and energy commentary can add context to household spending and the energy-led earnings outlook. |
For every report, the most useful comparison is not the headline earnings-per-share number alone. Check year-over-year revenue and profit growth, management guidance, operating-margin changes and the specific costs cited for labor, fuel or materials. A beat accompanied by lower guidance can matter more than a small earnings surprise.
Housing data arrive Tuesday
Starts and permits
The Census Bureau’s September housing starts and building-permits report is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. Eastern time on Tuesday, October 20. The Associated Press expects homebuilding to edge higher after two months of declines, but its preview does not provide a point consensus for either measure.
Rank #2
- Comes with secure packaging
- Easy to read text
- It can be a gift option
Starts measure homes beginning construction; permits indicate projects authorized for future construction. Reading both together helps separate a one-month change in work already under way from a change in builders’ pipeline.
Recommended Free Tools
Pending home sales
Pending home sales are due at 10:00 a.m. Eastern time on October 20. Because a pending contract generally precedes a completed sale, this release can provide a forward-looking signal for housing demand. Compare it with starts and permits rather than treating any one number as a complete picture.
Why a pickup may not mean affordability has improved
The U.S. housing sector has been in a slump since 2022. High mortgage rates continue to limit what buyers can afford, while construction materials and labor have become more expensive. A rise in starts could therefore show that builders are adding supply without making monthly payments easier for households.
The rest of the economic calendar
| Date | Scheduled releases (Eastern time) |
|---|---|
| Monday, October 19 | NAHB Housing Market Index at 10:00 a.m. |
| Tuesday, October 20 | ICSC weekly retail sales at 7:45 a.m.; housing starts and permits at 8:30 a.m.; Johnson/Redbook weekly sales at 8:55 a.m.; pending home sales at 10:00 a.m. |
| Wednesday, October 21 | MBA mortgage applications at 7:00 a.m.; Department of Energy inventory data at 10:30 a.m. |
| Thursday, October 22 | Weekly jobless and continuing claims at 8:30 a.m.; leading economic index at 10:00 a.m. |
| Friday, October 23 | S&P Global flash manufacturing, services and composite PMIs at 9:45 a.m.; final University of Michigan confidence and one- and five-year inflation expectations at 10:00 a.m. |
The New York Fed’s calendar independently lists new residential construction on October 20 and the final Michigan survey on October 23, matching the main release dates.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Consumer confidence is falling, but spending has not stopped
The final October University of Michigan survey, released Friday at 10:00 a.m. Eastern time, will include the consumer-sentiment index and one- and five-year inflation expectations. The AP preview says sentiment has been worsening and households are increasingly concerned about inflation.
Actual spending has been more resilient. September retail sales rose 0.8% from August, according to Census Bureau data reported by the AP, but increased only 0.2% excluding gas stations. Wholesale food prices rose 1.2% from August to September, based on Bureau of Labor Statistics data reported by the AP. The combination of weaker confidence and continued nominal spending is the week’s central consumer signal: households may be spending while feeling less secure about what their money will buy.
Quick Recap
Best Value
How to interpret the releases together
For markets
- Start with earnings growth, then test whether guidance and margins justify the optimism implied by the aggregate profit forecast.
- Separate sector-specific cost pressure: fuel affects airlines and transport, materials and labor affect manufacturers and builders, and food prices affect household budgets.
- Treat AI commentary as meaningful only when companies describe identifiable demand, revenue or cash flow, not merely planned spending.
For housing
- Compare starts with permits to see whether supply is expanding beyond projects already underway.
- Use pending sales and mortgage-application data as demand indicators.
- Keep mortgage rates, construction costs and labor availability alongside the activity figures; stronger starts do not by themselves establish improved affordability.
For consumers
- Read Michigan sentiment and inflation expectations against retail-sales data, not in isolation.
- Watch the ex-gas retail-sales figure because the headline gain was substantially larger than the increase excluding gas stations.
- Track whether rising food prices are reflected in companies’ guidance and household spending patterns.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
