Happy Presidents’ Day! A Key Tech Conference Kicks off Tomorrow. What to Expect.
2 minutes, 41 seconds read:
Hello Sweet Money Readers,
Happy Presidents’ Day! I hope you are enjoying the holiday.
Presidents’ Day recognizes the leaders who have played a pivotal role in shaping our nation’s history and future.
Three fun facts about Presidents’ Day according to the National Park Foundation:
- Presidents’ Day is celebrated on the third Monday in February, thanks to the 1968 Uniform Monday Holiday Act.
- It was established in 1885 in honor of President George Washington’s birthday.
- The federal government still officially calls it Washington’s Birthday.
Due to the holiday and stock market closure today, the next complete edition of Sweet Money-Making Monday will resume next week.
In the meantime, I am sending you a quick note highlighting major economic releases to watch this week.
Plus, an industrial technology conference that could affect the tech markets starts tomorrow.
Let’s get started …
In Economic Edge, U.S. manufacturing, consumer sentiment, and housing will take center stage this week.
There are six major U.S. economic releases to expect.
Please check out the table below for the complete list.
The colorful arrows show the direction and impact of the estimates for these releases.
Green = positive
Red = negative
Yellow =neutral
I’ll highlight a few of the releases.
Tomorrow, the February U.S. Empire State Manufacturing Survey of General Business Conditions posts at 8:30am ET.
This monthly survey, conducted in the first 2 weeks of the month, asks 200 manufacturing executives in New York State about current business conditions in their industry.
It seeks to gauge the health of the state’s manufacturing sector by inquiring about new orders, shipments, and inventories.
Economists expect the survey to show that the New York region’s manufacturing conditions improved in February but likely remained in negative territory.
On Wednesday, February 19, and Friday, February 21, we’ll get a check on the U.S. housing market via releases on January’s Housing Starts and Existing Homes Sales.
Expectations are for both prints to show a dip.
Regarding Housing Starts, January’s reading will likely show a decrease in new home inventories due to higher home financing costs.
It’s important to note that the need for housing is great, but the cost of homes and higher mortgage rates make it more difficult for a typical home buyer to afford a house.
According to The Brookings Institution, the U.S. is short about 4.9 million housing units.
However, Redfin’s data shows that in January 2025, U.S. home prices were up 4.1% compared to last year, selling for a median price of $418,489, while the national 30-year fixed mortgage rate hovered around 7%.
Higher home prices and borrowing costs could weigh on the new home construction market in the months ahead.
Existing home sales are in the same boat.
January’s existing home sales are also expected to decline as consumers contend with higher home financing costs.
This week’s Mega Trend-Tech Watch is not so much a trend I’ll be watching but the outcome of Citi’s Global Industrial Tech and Mobility Conference in Miami, Florida, starting tomorrow, February 18.
Some of the most notable and up-and-coming companies in the technology industry will present their latest innovative findings at this conference.
In years past, key themes shared by participating tech and mobility companies at this conference gave fantastic insights into the next mega trends to follow.
For instance, at its 2022 conference, themes in automation, robotics, and industrial digitization were all the buzz.
I’ll keep you posted on what’s discussed.
That’s it for today!
If you have any questions you’d like addressed in our reader mailbag, please email us at [email protected].
And don’t forget to follow me on X @InvestWithAmber for regular market posts.
Until next time, keep investing!
Amber Lancaster
Editor, The GenWealth Report
Disclaimer: We will not track any recommendations in Sweet Money Daily. We are just sharing our opinions, not advice. If you want access to the stocks in our model portfolio with tracking, updates, and buy/sell guidance, please check out The GenWealth Report.
