---
title: "Chicago Fed National Activity Index: -0.04 (Sep 21, 2026)"
description: Chicago Fed National Activity Index printed -0.04 on Sep 21, 2026 against a -0.08 prior. Consensus, surprise and release history, captured live.
source: Helious
canonical: "https://helious.io/data/chicago-fed-nai"
---

# Chicago Fed National Activity Index: release dates, results and history


    Chicago Fed National Activity Index last printed -0.04 on Mon, Sep 21, 2026 against a -0.08 prior. The next release is Monday, October 26, 2026 at 8:30 AM ET. Captured live by Helious the moment it printed.

    The index takes 85 indicators that are already public and rolls them into one growth number, where zero means the economy is running at trend. So it creates no new information. It is still the cleanest single number to reach for when the argument is about where the cycle sits, and the three-month average crossing -0.70 is the classic model-based recession signal. That threshold is why it gets quoted once the data starts rolling over.




        NEXT RELEASE


      Monday, October 26, 2026 at 8:30 AM ET



    Next release **--:--**




      LATEST PRINT: MON, SEP 21, 2026

        -0.04actual

        forecast
        -0.08prior


      [Full print analysis →](https://helious.io/news/rel-ev-a642effe5dc5cde0/chicago-fed-national-activity-index-0-04)






## The trend



        OFFICIAL SERIES · LAST 36 OBSERVATIONS · INDEX





    +0.390-0.98



  2023-092026-08

      The official published series at its current vintage, revisions included, so the newest point can differ from the number as first printed. The release-by-release history, with the consensus forecast and standard-deviation surprise on every row, comes through the [Helious API](https://helious.io/developers/).





## How it moves Treasuries

    On the day it almost never moves Treasuries, because every input in it is already public. It confirms the regime rather than telling you anything new. That still counts at the front end, where the shortest-maturity Treasuries sit. A three-month average sliding toward -0.70 hardens the recession bid there. See it scored live on the [Helious desk](https://helious.io/),
    or read [how the standard-deviation surprise is computed](https://helious.io/methodology).






## Recent prints, as captured by the desk


      DATEACTUALFORECASTPRIORSURPRISE (SD)PRINT


      Mon, Sep 21, 2026Sep 21 ’26
      -0.04
      —
      -0.08
      —
      [ABOVE PRIOR](https://helious.io/news/rel-ev-a642effe5dc5cde0/chicago-fed-national-activity-index-0-04)



      Mon, Aug 24, 2026Aug 24 ’26
      -0.08
      —
      -0.02
      —
      [BELOW PRIOR](https://helious.io/news/rel-ev-e0aab782450bae6a/chicago-fed-national-activity-index-0-08)



      Thu, Jul 23, 2026Jul 23 ’26
      -0.02
      —
      -0.10
      —
      [ABOVE PRIOR](https://helious.io/news/rel-ev-622eb144c06e9430/chicago-fed-national-activity-index-0-02)


    The 3 most recent prints from the desk's live capture, which began in July 2026, so what you see here is a sample rather than the whole record. Every row links the print page published the moment that number landed, and the full graded history is served by the [API](https://helious.io/developers/).






## Official series history


      PERIODVALUE (INDEX)PRIORCHANGE

        2026-08-01
        -0

        0.1
        -0.1
        2026-07-01
        0.1

        -0
        +0.1
        2026-06-01
        -0

        -0.1
        +0.1
        2026-05-01
        -0.1

        0.1
        -0.2
        2026-04-01
        0.1

        -0.1
        +0.2
        2026-03-01
        -0.1

        0.2
        -0.3
        2026-02-01
        0.2

        -0.1
        +0.3
        2026-01-01
        -0.1

        -0.1
        -0


    These are the most recent official
    rows, and the chart above draws the longer series behind them. The desk-captured prints higher up
    the page carry the consensus forecast and the standard-deviation surprise as they stood the moment
    each number landed.





## FAQ

### What was the latest Chicago Fed National Activity Index print?

Chicago Fed National Activity Index last printed -0.04 on Mon, Sep 21, 2026 against a -0.08 prior. The next release is Monday, October 26, 2026 at 8:30 AM ET. Captured live by Helious the moment it printed.

### When is the next Chicago Fed National Activity Index release?

The next Chicago Fed National Activity Index release is Monday, October 26, 2026 at 8:30 AM ET. Helious posts the print, the surprise against consensus and a verdict the second it lands.

      Monthly, ~three to four weeks after the reference month · 8:30 AM ET ·
      [download a sample (CSV, recent rows)](https://helious.io/data/chicago-fed-nai.csv), free to cite with a link to this page.
      The full history comes through the [Helious API](https://helious.io/developers/) and
      MCP at [api.helious.io/mcp](https://api.helious.io/mcp), with depth set by plan.


    [Catch the next print live →](https://helious.io/)