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The U.S. Thomson Reuters IPSOS PCSI eased to 53.33 in March from 53.80 previously, pointing to a mild pullback in consumer sentiment. The move suggests U.S. household confidence softened slightly at the start of March rather than breaking sharply lower.

Source: LSEG/Ipsos.

The Cleveland CPI rose 0.2% month-on-month in February, unchanged from the previous reading. The data points to stable local inflation momentum, with consumer prices in the Cleveland area continuing to rise at the same monthly pace as before.

Source: Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland.

U.S. inflation stayed broadly stable in February. Headline CPI rose 0.3% month-on-month and 2.4% year-on-year, both unchanged from expectations, while core CPI increased 0.2% on the month and 2.5% on the year. The mix suggests inflation did not re-accelerate, and underlying monthly price pressure eased slightly from January’s firmer core reading. Real earnings rose just 0.1% month-on-month, pointing to a more modest gain in household purchasing power.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

The MBA 30-year mortgage rate rose to 6.19% from 6.09%, but mortgage demand still improved. Mortgage applications increased 3.2% WoW, the purchase index rose to 171.3, the market index climbed to 389.6, and the refinance index edged up to 1,646.3. The signal is mixed but constructive: rates moved higher, yet housing finance activity still strengthened.

Source: Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA).

The latest U.S. 3-year note auction cleared at 3.579%, up from 3.518% previously, showing investors demanded a higher yield to absorb the new issue. The result points to firmer short-end funding costs and a market still reluctant to price a sharp drop in near-term rates.

Source: U.S. Department of the Treasury / TreasuryDirect.

U.S. existing home sales rose to 4.09 million in February, beating the 3.89 million market expectation and improving from 4.02 million previously. On a monthly basis, sales increased 1.7%, a clear rebound from the prior 5.9% drop. The official NAR release said February sales rose 1.7% month-on-month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.09 million, showing a firmer housing-market pulse as affordability improved.

Source: National Association of REALTORS® (NAR).

The latest Redbook reading showed U.S. chain-store sales growth easing to 6.2% YoY from 7.0% previously. The slowdown suggests retail momentum cooled a bit, but the level still points to solid consumer spending rather than a sharp pullback. Redbook describes its index as a widely watched weekly gauge of same-store retail sales trends in the U.S.

Source: Redbook Research Inc.

U.S. private-sector hiring showed a modest improvement in the latest weekly ADP reading, with ADP Employment Change Weekly rising to 15.50K from 12.80K previously. The data suggests hiring momentum remains positive, though still moderate rather than booming. ADP’s official NER Pulse said U.S. private employers added an average of 15,500 jobs per week for the four weeks ending February 21, 2026.

Source: ADP Research / ADP National Employment Report (NER Pulse).

U.S. small-business sentiment softened in February, with the NFIB Small Business Optimism Index falling to 98.8 from 99.3 in January and coming in below the 99.6 market expectation. The move marks another modest pullback in confidence, although the index remains slightly above its long-run average, suggesting Main Street sentiment has cooled rather than collapsed.

Source: NFIB.

The latest U.S. Treasury bill auctions showed only limited movement in short-term yields. The 3-month bill stopped at 3.605%, just below the previous 3.610%, while the 6-month bill held unchanged at 3.535%. The result suggests front-end U.S. funding costs remain elevated, with little sign of a sharp drop yet.

Source: U.S. Department of the Treasury / TreasuryDirect.

The latest U.S. readings painted a slightly calmer macro picture. The Conference Board Employment Trends Index rose to 105.37 in February from an upwardly revised 105.18 in January, suggesting the labor market is still showing resilience. At the same time, the New York Fed’s one-year consumer inflation expectation slipped to 3.0% from 3.1%, pointing to a small cooling in near-term inflation psychology.

Source: The Conference Board; Federal Reserve Bank of New York.

Bond markets came under pressure as investors focused more on the inflationary impact of the oil shock than on the usual safe-haven appeal of government debt. The U.S. 10-year Treasury yield rose 6 basis points to 4.204%, up sharply from 3.926% just a week earlier, reflecting rising concern that higher energy prices could delay rate cuts and keep inflation elevated.

Source: Reuters.