Building permits, pending home sales among economic data due Tuesday

As traders approach another pivotal day for financial markets, a series of crucial economic data releases that could sway market dynamics are expected on Tuesday, October 20, 2026. The spotlight will be on housing market indicators, with building permits and pending home sales taking center stage as key measures of residential sector health. These releases will provide fresh insights into the strength of the housing market, a critical component of overall economic activity. The data comes at a time when investors are closely monitoring economic indicators for signs of momentum or weakness in the broader economy.

Major Economic Events to Watch

• 7:30 AM ET - Building Permits: Expected at 1.390M versus previous 1.403M. Measures the change in the number of new building permits issued by the government, a key indicator of demand in the housing market.

• 9:00 AM ET - Pending Home Sales: Forecast at -0.4% versus previous 0.3%. Tracks the change in the number of homes under contract to be sold but still awaiting the closing transaction, excluding new construction.

Other Important Economic Events to Watch

• 7:15 AM ET - ADP Employment Change Weekly: Previous 24.80K. Provides the change in private sector employment, offering the most current view of the labor market based on ADP’s fine-grained, high-frequency data.

• 7:30 AM ET - Housing Starts: Previous -2.6%. Measures the change in the number of new constructions underway, an early indicator of economic conditions in the construction industry.

• 7:30 AM ET - Housing Starts: Expected at 1.300M versus previous 1.275M. Tracks the annualized number of new residential buildings that began construction during the reported month, a leading indicator of housing sector strength.

• 7:30 AM ET - Building Permits: Previous -2.1%. A closely watched report that provides hints about the state of the economy through construction-related economic activities including financing and employment.

• 9:00 AM ET - Atlanta Fed GDPNow: Forecast at 3.6% versus previous 3.6%. A running estimate of real GDP growth based on available economic data for the current measured quarter.

• 3:30 PM ET - API Weekly Crude Stock: Previous -11.120M. Reports inventory levels of US crude oil, gasoline and distillates stocks, providing an overview of US petroleum demand.

Other Economic Events to Watch

• 7:55 AM ET - Redbook: Previous 10.4%. A sales-weighted measure of year-over-year same-store sales growth in a sample of large US general merchandise retailers representing about 9,000 stores.

• 9:00 AM ET - Pending Home Sales Index: Previous 71.2. Measures the number of homes under contract to be sold but still awaiting the closing transaction, excluding new construction.

For further information and the latest updates, please refer to our Economic Calendar, here.