Stock market this week: Fed decision and Dreamforce lead the calendar

Stock market this week will be shaped by the Federal Reserve’s September policy meeting and a corporate conference calendar led by Salesforce’s Dreamforce in San Francisco. The Federal Open Market Committee meets on September 15-16, with its decision due Wednesday afternoon, while markets had priced in roughly a 90% chance of a rate increase after August core consumer prices rose 0.3% from the prior month, according to CNBC and Edward Jones.

The expected rate decision remains uncertain until the FOMC releases it. The Federal Reserve’s official calendar confirms the two-day meeting and a press conference on September 16.

What is on the stock market calendar this week?

The week’s first central event is the Fed meeting. The August core consumer price index, which excludes food and energy, rose 0.3% month on month, CNBC reported. Edward Jones said the increase was the largest since April. It also reported annual August headline CPI of 3.4% and annual core CPI of 2.4%.

Federal Reserve materials describe the federal funds rate as the rate on overnight borrowing of reserve balances between banks. The FOMC makes monetary-policy decisions at its meetings, according to the central bank.

Wednesday also brings the August retail-sales report at 8:30 a.m. Eastern time. CNBC identified consumer spending as a major component of U.S. economic output, making the release a closely watched reading alongside the policy announcement.

• Wednesday, September 16: Retail sales at 8:30 a.m. ET; FOMC decision at 2 p.m. ET, according to CNBC.
• Thursday, September 17: Housing starts and initial jobless claims at 8:30 a.m. ET, followed by pending home sales at 10 a.m. ET.
• Friday, September 18: Industrial production and capacity utilisation at 9:15 a.m. ET.

Why is Dreamforce on investors’ calendars?

Dreamforce, Salesforce’s annual company gathering, runs from Tuesday through Thursday in San Francisco, CNBC reported. Marc Benioff, Salesforce’s chief executive, is scheduled to give a keynote at 1 p.m. ET on Tuesday. The event is the principal corporate conference identified for the week.

Other scheduled appearances span healthcare, financial services, industrials and consumer companies. CNBC’s conference diary lists Cardinal Health, Johnson & Johnson and Eli Lilly at Morgan Stanley’s healthcare conference on Monday. Tuesday’s speakers include Wells Fargo at Barclays, Cardinal Health at Baird, Home Depot at Goldman Sachs and Honeywell at Morgan Stanley.

On Wednesday, GE Vernova, Capital One, Goldman Sachs, Boeing and Eaton are scheduled for conference presentations. Johnson & Johnson is due to present at Deutsche Bank’s healthcare summit on Thursday, according to CNBC.

The combination of a pending Fed decision, fresh consumption and housing figures, and company appearances leaves investors with a dense calendar of scheduled events. The known dates and release times are distinct from the economic data, policy decision and corporate remarks still to come.

This story draws on original reporting from CNBC.