As participants in financial markets prepare for the upcoming trading session, attention is drawn to a cluster of pivotal economic indicators scheduled for release on Monday, January 26, 2026. Central to this data lineup is the durable goods orders report, which serves as a barometer for the manufacturing sector's vitality and trends in business investments.
The durable goods orders figure, announced at 8:30 AM Eastern Time, captures the total value changes in new orders placed for manufactured products designed to last three years or more. This measure provides essential insights into equipment investment by businesses and the overall health of manufacturing activities. The previous recorded change stood at a contraction of 2.2%, setting a backdrop to observe any shifts in the sector.
Alongside this headline figure, the core durable goods orders, also released at 8:30 AM ET, exclude transportation-related items to offer a clearer indication of underlying manufacturing trends, having previously edged up by 0.1%. Separately, market watchers will consider indexes capturing economic momentum, including the Atlanta Fed GDPNow projection for real gross domestic product growth, forecasted to maintain at 5.4%, mirroring its previous estimate, and released at 10:30 AM ET.
Government securities auctions also play a notable role in the day’s market sentiment. A 2-Year Note auction at 1:00 PM ET will reveal investors' appetite for medium-term debt and provide clues on anticipated interest rate movements, following the last auction's yield at 3.499%. Additional auctions throughout the day include short-term 3-month and 6-month Treasury bills at 11:30 AM ET.
Further economic indicators released throughout the morning include the Dallas Fed's trimmed-mean Personal Consumption Expenditure (PCE) inflation measure at 6:30 AM ET, which aims to highlight core inflation trends by excluding volatile price fluctuations. Simultaneously, data on goods orders excluding defense and aircraft at 8:30 AM ET, previously posting a 0.5% increase, highlight probable business investment intentions.
Regional economic assessments, such as the Chicago Fed National Activity Index at 8:30 AM ET, which monitors activity within the 7th Federal Reserve District and previously read negative at -0.21, along with the Dallas Fed Manufacturing Business Index at 10:30 AM ET, still reflecting contraction at -10.9, will offer granular insights into localized economic conditions and potential inflation pressures.
The durable goods orders excluding defense category, reported alongside the main durable goods data at 8:30 AM ET with the last figure showing a decline of 1.5%, sheds light on civilian demand for such products, complementing the broader manufacturing data.
These reports collectively paint a comprehensive picture of the current economic landscape, particularly impacting the manufacturing and business investment sectors, while influencing government debt markets and monetary policy expectations. Investors and analysts will closely dissect these figures to better understand economic momentum and inform market positioning for the near term.