The September CPI 2026 release, the Consumer Price Index, is scheduled for Wednesday, October 14, 2026, at 8:30 AM Eastern Time by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The publication follows a session in which Wall Street closed slightly lower after a wave of mixed bank earnings, while oil held stable above $105 a barrel.
Wall Street Closes Lower After Bank Earnings
The session of October 13, 2026, was marked by the release of quarterly results from several major US banks. The S&P 500 fell 0.02% to close at 7,805.45 points, the Nasdaq Composite dropped 0.15% to 27,204.38 points, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 0.35% to close at 51,670.10 points (source).
The overall decline masks very different paths across banks. Citigroup fell 5.6% and Goldman Sachs slipped 0.2%, even though both banks beat market profit expectations. Wells Fargo lost 3.1% after net interest income came in below expectations, while JPMorgan Chase closed down 0.9% after a rare miss against profit expectations (source). These moves illustrate a fact already noted in the October 13, 2026 briefing: beating profit expectations is not always enough to lift a stock if other parts of the report disappoint.
Oil Stabilizes Above $105
In energy markets, Brent crude closed at $105.69 a barrel on October 13, 2026, down 96 cents from the previous day, which still marks its strongest close since September 15. WTI, meanwhile, rose 40 cents to close at $94.14, its highest closing level since September 24 (source). The two benchmarks therefore moved in slightly opposite directions, but both remain at elevated levels over the recent period.
| Indicator | Close | Change |
|---|---|---|
| S&P 500 | 7,805.45 points | -0.02% |
| Nasdaq Composite | 27,204.38 points | -0.15% |
| Dow Jones Industrial Average | 51,670.10 points | -0.35% |
| Brent | $105.69 a barrel | -0.9% |
| WTI | $94.14 a barrel | +0.4% |
September CPI 2026 Release: Scheduled for 8:30 AM
The Bureau of Labor Statistics has scheduled the September CPI 2026 release for Wednesday, October 14, 2026, at 8:30 AM Eastern Time (source). At the same time, the same agency is releasing the Real Earnings series for September 2026, which measures the change in real earnings of US workers (source). None of the primary sources consulted provide a consensus estimate, a forecast, or a prior figure for this release, so none of those elements appear in this briefing, in order to avoid attributing to the Bureau of Labor Statistics figures it has not itself disclosed ahead of the publication.
This release comes amid a sequence of closely watched macroeconomic events since the FOMC minutes of October 7, which had already revealed divisions within the monetary policy committee. The level of the September CPI could feed new debate over the path of interest rates, though no figure can be anticipated here for lack of an official source confirming one.
Frequently Asked Questions About the September CPI 2026 Release
What exactly does the September CPI 2026 release measure?
The September CPI 2026 release, or Consumer Price Index, measures the change in consumer prices in the United States over the month of September 2026. It is calculated and published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which has set its release for October 14, 2026, at 8:30 AM Eastern Time.
Why is the September CPI 2026 release published alongside the Real Earnings series?
The Bureau of Labor Statistics regularly schedules these two publications at the same time, because the Real Earnings series for September 2026 uses CPI price data to calculate the change in workers’ real earnings. Both releases are set for October 14, 2026, at 8:30 AM.
Why did banks see such different stock reactions despite profits beating expectations?
On October 13, 2026, Citigroup and Goldman Sachs both beat market profit expectations, yet their stocks still fell, by 5.6% and 0.2% respectively. This shows that a quarterly report contains several indicators, and that the market can react negatively to other parts of the report even when overall profit beats expectations.
Did Brent and WTI oil move in the same direction on October 13, 2026?
No. Brent fell 96 cents to close at $105.69 a barrel, while WTI rose 40 cents to close at $94.14. Both benchmarks nonetheless stayed close to their recent high closing levels, since September 15 and September 24 respectively.