The coming Wednesday brings a concentrated set of U.S. economic releases that market participants will watch closely. At the forefront are the Federal Open Market Committee meeting minutes and the Energy Information Administration's weekly crude oil inventory figures. Together, those reports could provide deeper texture on the Federal Reserve's policy debate and on near-term developments in petroleum supply and demand.
Major Economic Events to Watch
- 9:30 AM ET: EIA Crude Oil Inventories (Previous: 5.451M) - The weekly change in commercial crude oil barrels held by U.S. firms. This figure is a routine gauge market participants use to assess short-term petroleum supply dynamics and potential implications for gasoline, diesel and broader inflation trends.
- 1:00 PM ET: FOMC Meeting Minutes - The Federal Reserve's detailed record of its most recent policy-setting session. The minutes provide a fuller account of the committee's deliberations and can reveal nuances on the future path of interest rates and the Fed's monetary policy stance.
Other Important Economic Events to Watch
- 9:30 AM ET: EIA Weekly Cushing Oil Inventories (Previous: 0.520M) - Change in crude barrels stored at Cushing, Oklahoma, the delivery point for the West Texas Intermediate benchmark.
- 12:00 PM ET: 10-Year Note Auction (Previous: 4.217%) - The yield associated with the Treasury note auctioned at this time, which reflects investor demand for U.S. government securities.
- 1:35 PM ET: Fed Waller Speaks - Remarks from Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller that may add further detail to policymakers' views.
Additional Economic Releases and Metrics
Several other regular indicators will also be published on Wednesday. While not as prominent as the FOMC minutes or headline crude inventories, these data points provide additional granularity on energy markets, mortgage activity and consumer sentiment:
- 6:00 AM ET - Mortgage and MBA Data
- MBA Mortgage Applications (Previous: -10.4%) - Weekly change in mortgage applications as reported by the Mortgage Bankers Association.
- MBA Purchase Index (Previous: 159.4) - A weekly measure of mortgage applications for single-family home purchases.
- Mortgage Market Index (Previous: 278.3) - A composite covering all mortgage applications during the week.
- Mortgage Refinance Index (Previous: 946.4) - Weekly gauge of refinancing activity across mortgage products.
- MBA 30-Year Mortgage Rate (Previous: 6.57%) - The fixed mortgage lending rate for 80% loan-to-value mortgages.
- 9:30 AM ET - EIA Refining and Product Data
- EIA Weekly Refinery Utilization Rates (Previous: -0.8%) - Measure of refinery operating capacity utilization.
- EIA Refinery Crude Runs (Previous: -0.219M) - Volume of crude oil processed by refineries.
- Gasoline Inventories (Previous: -0.586M) - Weekly change in commercial gasoline barrels held in inventory.
- EIA Weekly Distillates Stocks (Previous: -2.111M) - Inventory levels of distillate fuel products.
- EIA Weekly Gasoline Production (Previous: -0.152M) - Weekly gasoline production levels.
- EIA Weekly Heatoil Stock (Previous: -0.809M) - Heating oil inventory levels.
- EIA Weekly Crude Imports (Previous: -0.209M) - Volume of crude oil imported into the United States.
- EIA Weekly Distillate Fuel Production (Previous: 0.000M) - Production levels of distillate fuels.
- 9:30 AM ET: EIA Weekly Cushing Oil Inventories (Previous: 0.520M) - Reiterated as the storage point for WTI deliveries.
- 10:00 AM ET: Thomson Reuters IPSOS PCSI (Previous: 53.33) - The monthly global primary consumer sentiment index based on 11 questions covering economic views and personal financial situations.
What to expect from the releases
Investors will scan the FOMC minutes for language that clarifies how committee members are weighing incoming data against policy objectives. Separately, the EIA's weekly inventory reports offer routine updates on refinery throughput, stock draws or builds at key storage hubs and gasoline and distillate balances. Both categories of information are commonly used by market participants to refine expectations for interest rates, energy prices and, by extension, inflation outlooks.
Practical note - Market participants and observers who need ongoing updates can consult economic calendars that aggregate release times and prior values for quick reference.
Schedule times and prior values are those published in the official release schedule for Wednesday, April 8, 2026, and are included here for reference.