TechFlow News, March 15: The trilateral conflict among the U.S., Iran, and Israel has entered its third week, and the ongoing turmoil in energy commodity markets is escalating into a major concern. In short, rising oil prices mean higher inflation, which erodes corporate profitability and ultimately pushes markets into a tough battle. Next week, seven central banks will announce their interest-rate decisions, and markets will navigate forward amid significant uncertainty.
The market’s primary focus is on the U.S. Federal Reserve:
Thursday at 02:00, the Fed’s Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) will release its interest-rate decision and Summary of Economic Projections (SEP);
Thursday at 02:30, Fed Chair Jerome Powell will hold a monetary policy press conference.
Markets broadly expect Fed policymakers to hold rates steady at next week’s meeting. Recent macroeconomic developments have completely reshaped the Fed’s rate outlook. This Thursday’s meeting will be Powell’s second-to-last, so a balanced and cautious tone is anticipated. Nonetheless, all eyes will be on the SEP and the “dot plot,” as expectations for two rate cuts this year have already diminished following the recent surge in oil prices.
Key economic data releases scheduled for next week include:
Monday at 21:15: U.S. industrial production month-on-month for February;
Wednesday at 04:30: U.S. API crude oil inventories for the week ending March 13;
Wednesday at 20:30: U.S. PPI year-on-year and month-on-month for February;
Thursday at 20:30: U.S. initial jobless claims for the week ending March 14, and the Philadelphia Fed Manufacturing Index for March.
A dense schedule of U.S. and European economic data will further illuminate inflation transmission channels, labor-market resilience, and the strength of manufacturing recovery—significantly influencing policy expectations for both the Fed and the European Central Bank, as well as global asset pricing.
Additionally, the AI sector’s most anticipated annual event—the NVIDIA GTC 2026 Conference—will take place in San Jose, California, from March 16 to 19.
