Market participants are preparing for a concentrated set of economic releases on Tuesday, April 7, 2026, with durable goods orders occupying the primary spotlight. The data, routinely watched as a barometer of manufacturing activity and capital spending by firms, arrives alongside several other scheduled reports and policy-related speeches that together could steer sentiment across equity, bond and currency markets.
The headline durable goods figure is expected to show a -1.0% change versus a prior reading of 0.0%. That release, scheduled for 7:30 AM ET, measures the change in the total value of new orders for long-lasting manufactured goods and includes transportation-related items, which can be a significant source of volatility.
Also at 7:30 AM ET, core durable goods orders - which exclude the often-volatile transportation sector and can offer a clearer view of underlying ordering trends - are forecast at 0.5% compared with a previous 0.4%.
Investors will also watch several complementary indicators and events throughout the day that could reinforce or complicate the story told by the goods orders data. A timeline of the major releases and events is below:
- 7:15 AM ET - ADP Employment Change Weekly: Previous 10.00K. Provides a high-frequency estimate of private payroll changes and a near-term view of the labor market.
- 7:30 AM ET - Durable Goods Orders: Expected -1.0% versus previous 0.0%. Measures the change in total value of new orders for long-lasting manufactured goods, including transportation items.
- 7:30 AM ET - Core Durable Goods Orders: Expected 0.5% versus previous 0.4%. Measures new orders excluding transportation items.
- 7:30 AM ET - Durables Excluding Defense: Previous 0.5%.
- 7:30 AM ET - Goods Orders Non Defense Ex Air: Previous 0.1%.
- 7:55 AM ET - Redbook: Previous 6.9%. A sales-weighted year-over-year same-store sales measure among large U.S. retailers.
- 9:00 AM ET - Atlanta Fed GDPNow: Expected 1.6% versus previous 1.6%. A running estimate of real GDP growth for the current quarter based on incoming data.
- 9:10 AM ET - IBD/TIPP Economic Optimism: Expected 48.1 versus previous 47.5. Gauges economic conditions including six-month outlooks for the economy and personal finances.
- 10:00 AM ET - NY Fed 1-Year Consumer Inflation Expectations: Previous 3.0%. Tracks consumer inflation expectations over the next year.
- 11:00 AM ET - EIA Short-Term Energy Outlook: Provides forecasts for consumption, supply, trade, and prices across major fuel types through the end of the next calendar year.
- 11:35 AM ET - Fed - Austan Goolsbee Speaks: Remarks from the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago president.
- 12:00 PM ET - 3-Year Note Auction: Previous yield 3.579%. The auction sets the return for holding the Treasury note to maturity.
- 2:00 PM ET - Consumer Credit: Expected $11.40B versus previous $8.05B. Measures the change in outstanding consumer credit requiring installment payments, a figure closely correlated with consumer spending and confidence.
- 3:30 PM ET - API Weekly Crude Stock: Previous 10.263M. Reports weekly inventory levels for U.S. crude oil, gasoline and distillates and provides an overview of petroleum demand.
- 4:50 PM ET - Fed - Philip Jefferson Speaks: Remarks from a Federal Reserve governor.
Beyond the headline durable goods releases, several narrower measures will be in focus. These include durables excluding defense and nondefense capital goods excluding aircraft - the latter tracking items such as farm machinery, construction equipment and medical supplies. These subcomponents can help isolate where ordering strength or weakness is concentrated within the goods-producing sector.
Other scheduled releases and indicators, like the Redbook same-store sales measure and the IBD/TIPP economic optimism index, provide additional color on consumer spending and sentiment. The Atlanta Fed’s GDPNow running estimate will offer a near-real-time snapshot of quarterly growth prospects, while the EIA outlook and API inventory update will give energy markets data on supply and demand dynamics.
Fed speakers Austan Goolsbee and Philip Jefferson are also on the calendar, and remarks from central bankers have the potential to affect rate-sensitive markets, including Treasuries and other fixed-income instruments. The 3-year note auction will additionally provide a market-determined yield reference point, with the previous auction yield recorded at 3.579%.
For traders and analysts seeking continual updates, refer to the published Economic Calendar for timing and any revisions throughout the day.
Summary: Durable goods orders, due at 7:30 AM ET on April 7, 2026, are expected to decline by 1.0% from a prior 0.0% reading. A broad set of accompanying releases - from employment estimates and consumer credit to energy inventories and Fed speeches - will collectively inform market assessments of economic momentum and risk across equities, bonds and currencies.