Daily Rundown

February 13, 2026

Chart of the Day

Number of the Day

116.5 - The housing affordability index in January, up 4.4 percent on the month for a seventh straight increase but still down by 45.0 percent from the record high in 2013

Quote of the Day

"The expectation for the balance of 2026 is that the low income consumer is going to continue to be under pressure, and there should be, call it, mid single-digit growth available with the upper-income consumer." - McDonald's CEO Chris Kempczinski

Thursday's Highlights

Initial unemployment claims (week of 2/1) fell by 5,000 to 227,000.

Existing home sales (January) fell by 8.4 percent to a 16-month low annualized rate of 3.9 million. The median price was up by 0.9 percent year-over-year.

Quick Commentary

The thaw in the housing market is playing out very slowly, with both supply and demand picking up at an uneven pace. Affordability is obviously an issue, but it is unlikely in any event that housing will sustain a stronger recovery until the labor market is more clearly pointed upward.

Today's Highlight

CPI

Daily Trivia

What did handyman Vincenzo Peruggia attempt to sell to a Florence art dealer in 1913 for roughly $95,000, hoping to give it a permanent home in its native Italy?

(Thursday's Question: Due to remote work capabilities and a lack of reliance on physical production, what sector recorded the smallest drop in jobs in April 2020, falling by just 3.0 percent even as overall payrolls slid 13.6 percent? Answer: Financial services)