Overview of Key Economic Events and Corporate Reports for the Week of February 23 – March 1, 2026. EU Sanctions, New 15% Global Tariff from the US, CPI and PPI Inflation, Nvidia's Earnings Season, Banking and IT Companies, OPEC+ Meeting. Analytics for Investors.
The week of February 23 – March 1, 2026 presents multiple drivers for global markets: trade restrictions and tariff agendas from the US, sanction decisions by the European Union against Russia, a data block on inflation and business activity, and a dense earnings season. The pivotal question for investors this week is how swiftly trade measures and sanctions will start affecting inflation, supply chains, company margins, and central bank rate expectations.
Particular attention will be paid to the technology sector and artificial intelligence market (with reports from Nvidia and cloud companies), the consumer sector (Home Depot, Lowe’s), the financial sector (major North American banks), and the Russian market, where trading continues as usual. Geographically, this week is significant for the US, Europe, and Russia, while in Asia, the week begins against the backdrop of holidays in the region's major economies.
Monday, February 23: Holidays in Asia, EU Sanctions, and Start of Earnings Week
- China: No trading (Lunar New Year).
- Japan: No trading (Emperor’s Birthday).
- Europe and Russia: Anticipated decision on the 20th package of EU sanctions against Russia (sectoral risks for raw materials, logistics, insurance, settlements, and compliance).
- Russia: Trading is ongoing (Moscow Exchange and SPB Exchange) — heightened sensitivity to sanction headlines and currency dynamics.
- US: Chicago Fed National Activity Index (January) — 16:30 MSK.
- US: Factory Orders (December) — 18:00 MSK.
- ECB: Speech by ECB President Christine Lagarde — 20:30 MSK.
Corporate Reports (Focus of the Day)
- US (Major/Notable Issuers): Domino’s Pizza, Keysight Technologies, Diamondback Energy, ONEOK, BWX Technologies, Hims & Hers, Freshpet, Axsome Therapeutics, Ovintiv.
- Market Commentary: The combination of reports in the consumer segment, industry/defense, and energy sets a risk tone at the beginning of the week and shapes expectations ahead of the technology earnings peak.
What to Watch for Investors: The market's reaction to the potential EU sanctions package and signals from Lagarde is more significant than individual macro releases. In equities, assess whether the rotation between "quality growth" and cyclical sectors is strengthening against a backdrop of trade risks and rate expectations.
Tuesday, February 24: US Global Tariff of 15%, China's LPR, and Retail/Platform Reports
- US: New 15% global tariff comes into effect for all countries — risk of renewed inflation acceleration for goods, pressure on importers, and industries with a high share of overseas components.
- US: Donald Trump’s speech before both chambers of Congress (annual State of the Union address and administration plans) — potential clarifications on trade and fiscal policies.
- China: LPR (Loan Prime Rate) announcement — 04:15 MSK.
- US: ADP Employment (weekly release) — 16:15 MSK.
- US: S&P/Case-Shiller (December) — 17:00 MSK.
- Bank of England: Speech by Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey — 17:15 MSK.
- US: Consumer Confidence (February) — 18:00 MSK.
- US: Richmond Fed Manufacturing Index (February) — 18:00 MSK.
- ECB: Lagarde's Speech — 20:45 MSK.
- Oil (US): API Inventories — 00:30 MSK.
Corporate Reports (All Key Public Companies of the Day)
- US: Home Depot (important indicator of consumer and housing renovation cycles), AMC Entertainment, MercadoLibre (Latin America, e-commerce/fintech), Axon Enterprise, Workday, DigitalOcean.
- Canada: Preliminary focus on the financial sector ahead of the bank earnings block later in the week.
- Market Commentary: The combination of Home Depot and IT platforms (Workday) helps investors assess the resilience of household spending and corporate budgets for software under tariff pressures.
What to Watch for Investors: US trade policy and the tone of the address to Congress could create momentum for the dollar, yields, and commodity prices. In reports, compare the margins and forecasts of companies most dependent on imports and logistics.
Wednesday, February 25: Australia's Rate, Eurozone CPI, and Peak Tech Reports
- Australia: RBA rate decision — 03:30 MSK.
- Germany: GDP (Q4 2024) — 10:00 MSK.
- Eurozone: CPI (January) — 13:00 MSK.
- Oil (US): EIA Inventories — 18:30 MSK.
- Russia: CPI (weekly estimate) — 19:00 MSK.
Corporate Reports (Largest Issuers of the Day)
- US: Nvidia (key benchmark for AI infrastructure demand), Salesforce, Lowe’s, TJX Companies, Snowflake, Synopsys, Agilent Technologies.
- Market Commentary: Nvidia's results and those of related companies in the "semiconductors → software/cloud → corporate budgets" chain can define the dynamics of the tech sector and risk appetite in global portfolios.
What to Watch for Investors: The linkage between Eurozone CPI and US technology reports may simultaneously impact rate expectations and growth multiples. In reports, prioritize revenue forecasts, client capital expenditures (capex), delivery timelines, and comments on pricing policies.
Thursday, February 26: Geneva Talks, US Jobless Claims, and Strong Banking/IT Earnings Block
- Geneva: Possible US-Iran negotiations (risk factor for oil) and negotiation agenda regarding Ukraine (geopolitical premium in commodity and currency markets).
- ECB: Lagarde's speech — 11:30 MSK.
- Eurozone: Consumer Confidence (February) — 13:00 MSK.
- Eurozone: Consumer Inflation Expectations (February) — 13:00 MSK.
- US: Initial Jobless Claims — 16:30 MSK.
- Gas (US): EIA Inventories — 18:30 MSK.
- US: KC Fed Manufacturing Index (February) — 19:00 MSK.
Corporate Reports (All Key Public Companies of the Day)
- US: Dell Technologies, Intuit, Baidu, Warner Bros. Discovery, Zscaler, Duolingo, CoreWeave.
- Canada: Royal Bank of Canada, Toronto-Dominion, Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce.
- Russia: Sberbank (important for MOEX investors — a key benchmark for banking margins, credit quality, and dividend expectations).
- Market Commentary: The combination of banks (credit cycle), cybersecurity (Zscaler), IT financial infrastructure (Intuit), and "hardware" (Dell) offers a broad view of corporate demand and income quality.
What to Watch for Investors: In the oil and gas market — risk reaction to Geneva and weekly inventories. For banks, dynamics in reserves and net interest margin are critical, while for IT, client retention, ARR/subscription growth, and customer acquisition costs are essential.
Friday, February 27: Swiss GDP, Indian and Canadian GDP, US PPI, and Final Macro Signals of the Week
- Switzerland: GDP (Q4 2025) — 11:00 MSK.
- Russia: Annual government report to the State Duma (fiscal priorities, state programs, influence on industries, and OFZ market).
- India: GDP (Q4 2025) — 13:30 MSK.
- Canada: GDP (Q4 2025) — 16:30 MSK.
- US: PPI (January) — 16:30 MSK.
- US: Chicago PMI (February) — 17:45 MSK.
Corporate Reports (Focus of the Day)
- US/Global: Reports continue from a wide array of issuers (especially in energy, small/mid-cap, and cyclical companies), but the main "heavy" agenda of the week has already been revealed in reports from Tuesday to Thursday.
What to Watch for Investors: The US PPI is one of the key "input price" indicators for companies and potential pressure on consumer inflation. The combination of PPI and GDP data from Canada/India is important for assessing global demand and the "soft landing" scenario.
Saturday, February 28: Holiday and Reporting Guidelines
- Earnings Season: Some companies may release results outside standard trading windows. It is important for investors to check corporate releases for their portfolios and consider possible analyst forecast revisions after the week closes.
- US: Berkshire Hathaway (commonly releases earnings on weekends) — an indicator of profit quality in insurance and investment portfolios.
Sunday, March 1: OPEC+ Meeting and Portfolio Adjustment for March
- OPEC+: Meeting — a potential driver for oil, inflation expectations, and commodity economy currencies.
OPEC+ decisions are critical not only for oil prices but also for inflation trajectories and rate expectations in importing and exporting countries. For portfolios, this could affect allocations between energy, transport, consumer sectors, and bonds.
Conclusion: Key Findings and Practical Guidelines for Investors
- The Main Macro Risk of the Week — intensified trade barriers from the US (15% tariff) and the EU sanctions agenda: both factors may quickly transform into inflationary pressure and revisions of rate expectations.
- Technological Focus — Nvidia's report and the group of cloud/software companies: the market will assess not only current figures but also the quality of forecasts, demand for AI infrastructure, and the resilience of corporate budgets.
- The Consumer and Housing — Home Depot and Lowe’s, combined with the housing index and consumer confidence, provide a practical picture of demand in the US.
- The Financial Sector — the block of major North American banks and Sberbank's reports is crucial for assessing the credit cycle, reserves, and net interest margin against changing inflation.
- Commodities — US oil/gas inventories and the OPEC+ meeting shape a short-term corridor for oil, and thus for inflation and energy sector stocks.
During the week of February 23 – March 1, 2026, investors should maintain focus on the linkage of “policy → inflation → rates → multiples,” while in reporting, emphasizing forecasts, margins, and management comments regarding tariffs, supply chains, and capital expenditures. This combination of factors will determine whether the market continues to support risky assets or shifts towards defensive allocation.
