The Week Ahead: Key Economic Events to Watch for August 10 – 14, 2026 

Overview 

Markets are set for a busy week, with several high-impact economic events likely to drive volatility across major currencies, commodities, and equities. Investors will closely watch the Reserve Bank of Australia’s interest rate decision, US inflation data, crude oil inventories, UK GDP, producer prices, unemployment claims, and retail sales. These releases will provide fresh insight into inflation, economic growth, consumer spending, labor market conditions, and the outlook for monetary policy. Corporate earnings from Barrick Mining, Cisco Systems, and Applied Materials will also be in focus during the week. 

High Impact Economic Events 

Tuesday 07:30 am (GMT+3) – Australia: Cash Rate (AUD) 

Wednesday 15:30 (GMT+3) – USA: CPI m/m (USD) 

Wednesday 17:30 (GMT+3) – USA: Crude Oil Inventories (USD) 

Thursday 9:00 am (GMT+3) – UK: GDP m/m (GBP) 

Thursday 15:30 (GMT+3) – USA: PPI m/m (USD) 

Thursday 15:30 (GMT+3) – USA: Unemployment Claims (USD) 

Friday 15:30 (GMT+3) – USA: Retail Sales m/m (USD) 

Tuesday, August 11 

07:30 am – Australia: Cash Rate (AUD) 

The interest rate decision is one of the key instruments of the Reserve Bank of Australia’s national monetary and credit policy. 

A higher interest rate leads to the Australian dollar appreciating. 

On June 16, 2026, the Monetary Policy Board unanimously decided to keep the cash rate target unchanged at 4.35 percent. Inflation remains too high, driven by domestic capacity pressures and higher energy costs linked to Middle East supply disruptions. Previous rate increases have tightened financial conditions, slowed consumer spending and weakened parts of the housing market, although business investment and credit remain strong. The Board expects higher fuel costs to keep inflation elevated for some time and sees considerable uncertainty around economic growth. It will monitor inflation, demand, labor markets and global developments, and may raise interest rates further if needed. 

Economists expect the RBA to keep the cash rate unchanged at its upcoming meeting. 

Wednesday, August 12 

15:30 – USA: CPI m/m (USD) 

The Consumer Price Index (CPI) measures the change in prices paid by consumers for a basket of goods and services, reflecting spending patterns of urban consumers and wage earners. It includes indexes like CPI-U for all urban consumers and CPI-W for urban wage earners, covering over 90% of the US population. CPI tracks inflation by comparing current prices to a reference base period. 

In June 2026, US consumer prices fell 0.4% from the previous month, the largest monthly decline since April 2020, mainly due to a 5.7% drop in energy prices. Food prices rose 0.2%, while core inflation, excluding food and energy, was unchanged. Several categories, including motor vehicle insurance, apparel and medical care, declined, while recreation and personal care increased. Annual inflation slowed to 3.5% from 4.2% in May. Core inflation also eased to 2.6% from 2.9%. Despite the monthly energy decline, energy prices remained 15.7% higher than a year earlier. 

Economists expect the monthly CPI to increase by 0.1% in the next report. 

17:30 – USA: Crude Oil Inventories (USD) 

The Crude Oil Stocks Change Indicator is published weekly by the Energy Information Administration (EIA). It gauges the volume (barrels) of commercial crude oil held by US companies, influencing global oil prices. Increasing oil stocks signal reduced oil demand, potentially leading to a decline in oil prices per barrel. 

For the week ending July 31, 2026, US refinery inputs averaged 17.2 million barrels per day, while refinery utilization remained high at 96.5%. Crude oil imports rose to 6.2 million barrels per day, but four-week imports were 4.4% lower than a year earlier. Commercial crude inventories increased by 2.5 million barrels to 407.0 million, around 6% below the five-year average. Gasoline inventories fell by 1.6 million barrels and distillate stocks dropped by 3.5 million barrels. Overall petroleum demand averaged 20.4 million barrels per day over four weeks, down 0.9% from last year. 

Thursday, August 13 

9:00 am- UK: GDP m/m (GBP) 

Gross Domestic Product (GDP) m/m represents the value of all goods and services produced in the UK in the current month compared to the previous month. The GDP calculation also includes expenditure on manufactured goods and provided services. GDP growth may have a positive effect on the pound quotes. 

In May 2026, the UK economy grew by 0.1% after contracting by 0.1% in April. The increase was driven by a 0.3% rise in services output, while production fell by 0.5% and construction declined by 0.8%. Over the three months to May, GDP expanded by 0.7% compared with the three months to February, marking the sixth consecutive period of three-month growth. Services increased by 0.7%, construction rose strongly by 1.6%, and production edged up by 0.1%. Overall, services remained the main contributor to UK economic growth during the period. 

Economists expect GDP to decline by 0.1% in the next release. 

15:30 – USA: PPI m/m (USD) 

The Producer Price Index (PPI) measures the average change in prices received by producers for goods, services, and construction. The PPI covers a broad range of industries and is used alongside other economic indicators like the Consumer Price Index (CPI), which measures price changes from the buyer’s perspective. Growth in the index can have a positive effect on dollar quotes. 

In June 2026, the US Producer Price Index for final demand fell 0.3%, following increases of 0.6% in May and 1.1% in April. The decline was driven by a 1.4% drop in final demand goods prices, while prices for final demand services rose 0.2%. On an annual basis, producer prices were 5.5% higher than a year earlier. Excluding food, energy, and trade services, prices increased 0.1% in June after rising 0.8% in May. This core measure was up 5.1% over the 12 months ending in June. 

Economists expect the PPI to increase by 0.2% in the upcoming release. 

15:30 – USA: Unemployment Claims (USD) 

An initial claim is filed by an unemployed individual seeking eligibility for unemployment insurance after leaving a job. This count serves as a leading economic indicator, reflecting labor market conditions. However, because these are weekly administrative data, they can be volatile and challenging to adjust seasonally. 

In the week ending August 1, US initial jobless claims rose slightly to 199,000, up 1,000 from the revised previous-week level of 198,000. The four-week moving average declined to 198,750, indicating relatively stable layoffs. For the week ending July 25, the insured unemployment rate remained unchanged at 1.2%. Continuing claims increased by 24,000 to 1.801 million, while their four-week moving average fell to 1.791 million. Overall, the data suggest the labor market remains fairly resilient, with initial claims staying low despite a modest rise in the number of people continuing to receive unemployment benefits. 

Economists expect initial unemployment claims to rise to 202,000 in the next report. 

Friday, August 14, 

15:30 – USA: Retail Sales m/m (USD) 

The Retail Sales m/m reflects the change in US retail sales from one month to the next. This indicator is used to assess inflation, and an increase in retail sales can positively influence the value of the US dollar. 

US retail and food service sales rose slightly in June 2026, increasing 0.2% from May to $768.6 billion. Compared with June 2025, sales were 6.7% higher, showing that consumer spending remained stronger than a year earlier. Over the April-to-June period, total sales were up 6.4% from the same three months in 2025. May’s monthly sales increase was also revised slightly higher, from 0.9% to 1.0%. Overall, the figures suggest that consumer spending continued to grow in June, although at a much slower pace than in the previous month. 

Economists expect retail sales to increase by 0.1% in the next release. 

Company Earnings (August 10 – 14) 

Monday, August 10: B (Barrick Mining Corporation) 

Wednesday, August 12: CSCO (Cisco Systems, Inc.) 

Thursday, August 13: AMAT (Applied Materials, Inc.) 

Conclusion 

Overall, the week ahead could bring increased market volatility as investors assess fresh data on inflation, economic growth, consumer spending, employment, and monetary policy. The RBA decision and key US releases, particularly CPI, PPI, unemployment claims, and retail sales, may have a strong influence on currency and equity markets. UK GDP and crude oil inventory data could also affect the pound and energy prices. With several major economic reports and corporate earnings scheduled, traders are likely to remain focused on whether the data support expectations for future interest rate decisions and the broader economic outlook.