Daily brief: October 20, 2026
3 releases in the October 20, 2026 editor's cut: New York Fed outright bill purchase accepted $1.827 billion on October 19; Effective federal funds rate held at 3.88 percent on October 19; and Total public debt outstanding was $40.388 trillion on October 16, after a $59.09 billion rise a day earlier. Each has its own page. 4 further items below.
On their own pages
- New York Fed outright bill purchase accepted $1.827 billion on October 19
The New York Fed's Open Market Trading Desk conducted an outright Treasury bill purchase on Monday, October 19, 2026, accepting $1,827 million par against $24,151 million submitted, for settlement on Tuesday, October 20. Bills in the operation mature between February 18, 2027 and September 30, 2027. The previous bill purchase, on October 8, accepted $3,891 million against $53,983 million submitted. For the October 15 to November 13 period, the Desk plans approximately $14.6 billion in reinvestment purchases and no reserve management purchases. Principal payments from the Fed's agency securities are reinvested into Treasury bills, so these purchases change the mix of holdings rather than add to them. This is a Desk operation, not a change to the target range.
- Effective federal funds rate held at 3.88 percent on October 19
The New York Fed's effective federal funds rate for Monday, October 19, 2026 was 3.88 percent, unchanged from Friday, October 16, and inside the 3.75 to 4.00 percent target range. The 1st percentile was 3.85 percent and the 99th percentile 3.89 percent, both unchanged. The 25th percentile rose to 3.88 percent from 3.87 percent, and the 75th percentile rose to 3.89 percent from 3.88 percent. Volume was 110 billion dollars, after 115 billion dollars on October 16. The rate has printed 3.88 percent on every business day from October 13 through October 19. The next FOMC meeting is October 27 to 28.
- Total public debt outstanding was $40.388 trillion on October 16, after a $59.09 billion rise a day earlier
Treasury Fiscal Data's Debt to the Penny lists total public debt outstanding at 40,387,508,795,231.67 dollars as of Friday, October 16, 2026, down 808,879,840.24 dollars from 40,388,317,675,071.91 dollars on Thursday, October 15. The October 15 record was itself up 59,087,847,530.89 dollars from 40,329,229,827,541.02 dollars on October 14. On October 16, debt held by the public was 32,532,409,708,643.41 dollars, down 5.83 billion dollars from October 15, and intragovernmental holdings were 7,855,099,086,588.26 dollars, up 5.02 billion dollars. The October 15 and October 16 records were not filed separately before this package; the last filed record was October 14.
Housing starts fell 5.2 percent in September to a 1.221 million annual rate
The Census Bureau reported on October 20, 2026 that privately owned housing starts ran at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,221,000 in September, 5.2 percent (plus or minus 11.8 percent) below the revised August estimate of 1,288,000 and 7.4 percent below September 2025. Single-family starts were 859,000, down from a revised 900,000. Building permits were 1,400,000, 0.2 percent below the revised August rate of 1,403,000, and single-family permits fell 4.0 percent to 845,000. Completions rose to 1,192,000. The monthly change in starts is within the survey's margin of error, so Census cannot say statistically that starts fell.
- Housing starts, seasonally adjusted annual rate
- 1,221,000
- Housing starts, monthly change
- -5.2%
- Single-family housing starts, seasonally adjusted annual rate
- 859,000
- Building permits, seasonally adjusted annual rate
- 1,400,000
Source: Monthly New Residential Construction, September 2026 (CB26-162) — U.S. Census Bureau.
all 4 figures found at the source
- found Housing starts, seasonally adjusted annual rate = 1,221,000 — at U.S. Census Bureau
- found Housing starts, monthly change = -5.2% — at U.S. Census Bureau
- found Single-family housing starts, seasonally adjusted annual rate = 859,000 — at U.S. Census Bureau
- found Building permits, seasonally adjusted annual rate = 1,400,000 — at U.S. Census Bureau
Total public debt outstanding rose $8.89 billion to $40.396 trillion on October 19
Treasury Fiscal Data's Debt to the Penny, updated October 20, lists total public debt outstanding at 40,396,401,120,485.05 dollars as of Monday, October 19, 2026, up 8,892,325,253.38 dollars from 40,387,508,795,231.67 dollars on Friday, October 16. Debt held by the public was 32,533,474,452,928.98 dollars, up 1.06 billion dollars, and intragovernmental holdings were 7,862,926,667,556.07 dollars, up 7.83 billion dollars. Since October 14 the total has risen 67.17 billion dollars, most of it in the 59.09 billion dollar rise recorded on October 15.
- Total public debt outstanding
- $40,396,401,120,485.05
- Debt held by the public
- $32,533,474,452,928.98
- Intragovernmental holdings
- $7,862,926,667,556.07
Source: Debt to the Penny API, record dates October 14 to October 19, 2026 — U.S. Department of the Treasury, Bureau of the Fiscal Service. Also: Debt to the Penny.
all 3 figures found at the source
- found Total public debt outstanding = $40,396,401,120,485.05 — at U.S. Department of the Treasury, Bureau of the Fiscal Service
- found Debt held by the public = $32,533,474,452,928.98 — at U.S. Department of the Treasury, Bureau of the Fiscal Service
- found Intragovernmental holdings = $7,862,926,667,556.07 — at U.S. Department of the Treasury, Bureau of the Fiscal Service
Treasury sold $95 billion of 6-week bills at 3.975 percent on October 20
Treasury's 6-week bill auction on October 20, 2026 (CUSIP 912797VA2, a reopening, issued October 22 and maturing December 3) cleared at a high discount rate of 3.975 percent, an investment rate of 4.049 percent, against 3.980 percent and 4.055 percent at the October 13 auction. The offering was 95 billion dollars, the same as the week before. The bid-to-cover ratio rose to 2.74 from 2.58, and 78.53 percent of bids at the high rate were allotted. The median rate was 3.950 percent. The bill rate sits just above the 3.88 percent effective federal funds rate.
- 6-week bill high discount rate
- 3.98%
- 6-week bill investment rate
- 4.05%
- Bid-to-cover ratio
- 2.74
- Offering amount
- $95,000,000,000
Source: Treasury auction results, 6-week bill 912797VA2, auctioned October 20, 2026 — U.S. Department of the Treasury, TreasuryDirect. Also: Treasury auction results, 6-week bill 912797SU2, auctioned October 13, 2026.
all 4 figures found at the source
- found 6-week bill high discount rate = 3.98% — at U.S. Department of the Treasury, TreasuryDirect
- found 6-week bill investment rate = 4.05% — at U.S. Department of the Treasury, TreasuryDirect
- found Bid-to-cover ratio = 2.74 — at U.S. Department of the Treasury, TreasuryDirect
- found Offering amount = $95,000,000,000 — at U.S. Department of the Treasury, TreasuryDirect
Pending home sales fell 7.3 percent in September, down in all four regions
The National Association of Realtors reported on October 20, 2026 that pending home sales fell 7.3 percent in September from August and 11.3 percent from September 2025. Contracts fell month over month in all four regions: the West by 9.2 percent, the South by 8.2 percent, the Midwest by 6.5 percent and the Northeast by 4.2 percent. NAR's chief economist attributed the weakness to fast-rising mortgage rates. Private index, not a federal print; carried because mortgage rates are where tighter money reaches households first.
- Pending home sales, month-over-month change
- -7.3%
- Pending home sales, year-over-year change
- -11.3%
- Pending home sales, West, month-over-month change
- -9.2%
Source: Pending Home Sales Decreased 7.3% in September (NAR, October 20, 2026) — National Association of Realtors.
all 3 figures found at the source
- found Pending home sales, month-over-month change = -7.3% — at National Association of Realtors
- found Pending home sales, year-over-year change = -11.3% — at National Association of Realtors
- found Pending home sales, West, month-over-month change = -9.2% — at National Association of Realtors
Items report what the named sources published in the window; they are not this site's own findings, and a source's framing is not a verdict on who owns the money supply. Figures are as those sources printed them. The methodology says how this page is made and what is checked.