Close Brief

Forward calendar

What can move the tape

Fed, inflation, jobs, options expiration, and the November midterms. These are the dates the desk actually marks. Live US high-impact prints are merged when the calendar feed is available.

Next high-impact: Monthly options expiration

August 2026

6 marked

  1. Thu, Aug 208:30 AM

    Initial jobless claims

    Data

    Weekly labor-market pulse. A sharp rise would re-price the September FOMC.

  2. Fri, Aug 219:45 AM

    S&P Global flash PMI

    Data

    First look at August activity. Sub-50 on services would rattle the soft-landing tape.

  3. Fri, Aug 21Close

    Monthly options expiration

    Opex

    Dealer hedging can pin the index into the close, then unwind. Gap risk into Monday.

  4. Wed, Aug 26After close

    NVIDIA earnings

    AI

    The AI complex is pinned to this print. Data-center guidance and China are the tell — not the beat. SMH, AMD, TSM, and AVGO will gap with it.

  5. Thu, Aug 2710:00 AM

    Jackson Hole symposium opens

    Fed

    Kansas City Fed, Aug 27–29. Theme is financial innovation. Chair Warsh's speech is the event for gold, bitcoin, and duration.

  6. Fri, Aug 2810:00 AM

    Jackson Hole — Warsh address (typical window)

    Fed

    This is the policy-signal day. Do not add risk into the speech unless you are trading the reaction, not the forecast.

September 2026

6 marked

  1. Fri, Sep 48:30 AM

    Employment situation (August)

    Data

    The last labor print before the September FOMC. Payrolls, unemployment, and average hourly earnings all matter.

  2. Mon, Sep 7All day

    Labor Day — market closed

    Holiday

    US cash session shut. Liquidity returns Tuesday.

  3. Fri, Sep 118:30 AM

    CPI (August)

    Data

    The inflation print that feeds the September SEP. Core is the number. Headline is the headline.

  4. Tue, Sep 152:00 PM

    FOMC decision + SEP

    Fed

    Rate decision, dots, and press conference. Highest-volatility two days of the quarter.

  5. Wed, Sep 162:30 PM

    FOMC press conference (day 2)

    Fed

    The Chair's Q&A often moves the tape more than the statement.

  6. Fri, Sep 18Close

    Quarterly options expiration (witching)

    Opex

    Index, single-stock, and futures options expire together. Wide ranges, then a reset.

October 2026

3 marked

  1. Fri, Oct 28:30 AM

    Employment situation (September)

    Data

    First jobs print of Q4. Sets the tone into the October FOMC.

  2. Wed, Oct 148:30 AM

    CPI (September)

    Data

    Inflation follow-through after the September decision. A hot print reopens hike talk; a cool one extends the pause.

  3. Tue, Oct 272:00 PM

    FOMC decision

    Fed

    No SEP this meeting. Statement language and the press conference still move rates.

November 2026

4 marked

  1. Tue, Nov 3All day

    US midterm elections

    Macro

    Policy path for 2027–28. House and Senate both on the ballot. Markets usually fade election night and trade the composition of Congress the next session — tariffs, fiscal, and Fed independence all run through it.

  2. Fri, Nov 68:30 AM

    Employment situation (October)

    Data

    First labor print after the election. Watch revisions.

  3. Thu, Nov 26All day

    Thanksgiving — market closed

    Holiday

    US cash session shut.

  4. Fri, Nov 271:00 PM

    Early close (day after Thanksgiving)

    Holiday

    Thin liquidity. Do not size like a normal Friday.

December 2026

5 marked

  1. Fri, Dec 48:30 AM

    Employment situation (November)

    Data

    Last jobs report before the December FOMC.

  2. Tue, Dec 82:00 PM

    FOMC decision + SEP

    Fed

    Final policy meeting of 2026. Dots set the 2027 path.

  3. Fri, Dec 18Close

    December quarterly expiration

    Opex

    Year-end rebalance plus witching. Spreads widen; do not fight the close.

  4. Thu, Dec 241:00 PM

    Christmas Eve — early close

    Holiday

    Holiday tape. Liquidity is a rumor.

  5. Fri, Dec 25All day

    Christmas — market closed

    Holiday

    US cash session shut.