Overview of Key Economic Events and Corporate Reports for the Week of February 23 to March 1, 2026: EU Sanctions, New 15% Global Tariff by the US, CPI and PPI Inflation, Nvidia Earnings Season, Banks, and IT Companies, OPEC+ Meeting: Analysis for Investors
The week of February 23 to March 1, 2026, presents several drivers for global markets: trade restrictions and tariff agendas from the US, sanctions imposed by the European Union against Russia, a block of data on inflation and business activity, as well as a busy corporate earnings season. The key question for investors this week is how quickly these trade measures and sanctions will begin to impact inflation, supply chains, company margins, and central bank interest rate expectations.
Special attention is warranted for the technology sector and the artificial intelligence market (Nvidia and cloud company reports), the consumer segment (Home Depot, Lowe’s), the financial sector (large banks in North America), and the Russian market, where trading will continue as usual. Geographically, this week is significant simultaneously for the US, Europe, and Russia, while in Asia, the week starts amid a weekend in the region's largest economies.
Monday, February 23: Holidays in Asia, EU Sanctions, and Start of Earnings Week
- China: No trading (New Year).
- Japan: No trading (Emperor’s Birthday).
- Europe and Russia: Anticipation of a decision regarding the 20th package of EU sanctions against Russia (sectoral risks for raw materials, logistics, insurance, settlements, and compliance).
- Russia: Trading continues (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: Statement by ECB President Christine Lagarde — 20:30 MSK.
Corporate Reports (Focus of the Day)
- US (large/significant issuers): Domino’s Pizza, Keysight Technologies, Diamondback Energy, ONEOK, BWX Technologies, Hims & Hers, Freshpet, Axsome Therapeutics, Ovintiv.
- Market Commentary: The combination of reports from the consumer segment, industry/defense, and energy sets the tone for risk at the week’s onset and shapes expectations ahead of the technology earnings peak.
Investor Focus: The market's reaction to the potential EU sanctions package and signals from Lagarde is more critical than individual macro publications. In stocks, assess whether the rotation between "quality growth" and cyclical sectors is intensifying amid trade risks and rate expectations.
Tuesday, February 24: US Global Tariff of 15%, China’s LPR, and Retail/Platform Earnings
- US: A new 15% global tariff on all countries comes into effect — risk of renewed inflation acceleration for goods, pressure on importers and sectors with a high share of foreign components.
- US: Donald Trump addresses both chambers of Congress (annual state of the country address and administration plans) — potential clarifications regarding trade and fiscal policy.
- China: LPR (Loan Prime Rate) — 04:15 MSK.
- US: ADP Employment (weekly release) — 16:15 MSK.
- US: S&P/Case-Shiller (December) — 17:00 MSK.
- Bank of England: Statement by BoE 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 statement — 20:45 MSK.
- Oil (US): API Supplies — 00:30 MSK.
Corporate Reports (All Key Public Companies of the Day)
- US: Home Depot (a significant indicator of consumer and housing repair cycles), AMC Entertainment, MercadoLibre (Latin America, e-commerce/fintech), Axon Enterprise, Workday, DigitalOcean.
- Canada: Preliminary focus on the financial sector ahead of the banking report block later in the week.
- Market Commentary: The combination of Home Depot and IT platforms (Workday) helps investors gauge the resilience of household spending and corporate budgets for software amid tariff pressures.
Investor Focus: US trade policy and the tone of the address to Congress may create momentum for the dollar, yields, and commodity prices. In earnings reports, compare margins and forecasts for companies most reliant on imports and logistics.
Wednesday, February 25: Australia’s Rate, Eurozone CPI, and Peak of Technology Reports
- Australia: RBA’s rate decision — 03:30 MSK.
- Germany: GDP (Q4 2024) — 10:00 MSK.
- Eurozone: CPI (January) — 13:00 MSK.
- Oil (US): EIA Supplies — 18:30 MSK.
- Russia: CPI (weekly estimate) — 19:00 MSK.
Corporate Reports (Major Issuers of the Day)
- US: Nvidia (a 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 across the “semiconductors → software/cloud → corporate budgets” chain can dictate the dynamics of the tech sector and risk appetite in the global portfolio.
Investor Focus: The interplay of Eurozone CPI and technological earnings in the US could simultaneously influence rate expectations and growth multiples. In reports, prioritize revenue forecasts, client capital expenditures (capex), delivery timelines, and pricing policy comments.
Thursday, February 26: Geneva Negotiations, US Jobless Claims, and a Strong Block of Banking/IT Reports
- Geneva: Possible US-Iran negotiations (a risk factor for oil) and discussions on Ukraine (geopolitical premium in raw material and currency markets).
- ECB: Lagarde’s address — 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 Supplies — 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 (for investors on MOEX — a key benchmark for banking profitability, credit quality, and dividend expectations).
- Market Commentary: The combination of banks (credit cycle), cybersecurity (Zscaler), IT financial infrastructure (Intuit), and “hardware” (Dell) provides a broad snapshot of corporate demand and income quality.
Investor Focus: In the oil and gas markets — risk reactions to Geneva and weekly inventories. In reports — banks' dynamics of reserves and net interest margins are critical, while for IT – customer retention, growth of ARR/subscriptions, and acquisition costs should be monitored.
Friday, February 27: Switzerland’s GDP, India’s GDP, Canada’s GDP, US PPI, and Final Macro Signals of the Week
- Switzerland: GDP (Q4 2025) — 11:00 MSK.
- Russia: Annual government report in State Duma (fiscal priorities, government programs, impact on sectors 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: Earnings reports continue across a wide range of issuers (particularly in the energy, small/mid-cap, and cyclical sectors), but the main “heavy” agenda of the week has already been revealed in reports from Tuesday to Thursday.
Investor Focus: US PPI is a key indicator of "input prices" for companies and potential pressure on consumer inflation. The combination of PPI and GDP data from Canada/India is crucial for assessing global demand and the "soft landing" scenario.
Saturday, February 28: Weekend and Reporting Focus
- Earnings Season: Some companies may release results outside the standard trading windows. Investors should check corporate releases related to their portfolios and consider possible revisions to analysts' forecasts post-week's closure.
- US: Berkshire Hathaway (often releases results over the weekend) — an indicator of earnings quality in insurance and investment portfolios.
Sunday, March 1: OPEC+ Meeting and Portfolio Adjustments for March
- OPEC+: Meeting – a potential driver for oil, inflation expectations, and currencies of commodity-based economies.
OPEC+ decisions are important not only for oil prices but also for inflation trajectories and interest rate expectations in importing and exporting countries. For portfolios, this may influence the allocation between energy, transportation, consumer sectors, and bonds.
Conclusion: Key Takeaways and Practical Guidelines for Investors
- The primary macro risk of the week is the intensification of US trade barriers (15% tariff) and EU sanctions agenda: both factors may quickly translate into inflationary pressure and a revision of rate expectations.
- Technological focus — Nvidia’s report and the group of cloud/software companies: the market will assess not only current numbers 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 housing index and consumer confidence provide a practical picture of demand in the US.
- The financial sector — the block of reports from major North American banks and Sberbank is crucial for assessing the credit cycle, reserves, and net interest margin amidst changing inflation.
- Commodities — US oil/gas inventories and the OPEC+ meeting shape the short-term corridor for oil, which in turn impacts inflation and energy sector stocks.
Practically, during the week of February 23 to March 1, 2026, investors should focus on the connection between "policy → inflation → rates → multiples," and in earnings, on forecasts, margins, and management comments regarding tariffs, supply chains, and capital expenditures. This combination of factors will determine whether the market will continue to support risky assets or transition into a defensive allocation mode.
