Presidents’ Day, observed on Monday, February 16, 2026, remains a firmly established federal holiday in the United States. Officially designated as Washington’s Birthday under federal law, the third Monday in February has been a paid day off for federal employees since 1879. Despite its popular name honoring all U.S. presidents, the holiday’s legal title honors George Washington, the nation’s first president. As of February 15, 2026, no changes to its status have occurred, and it continues to provide a long weekend for millions amid winter sales and school recesses.
Is Presidents Day a Federal Holiday? 2026 Closures, History & What’s Open
The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) lists Washington’s Birthday as one of 11 federal holidays in 2026, with no alterations from prior years. Federal offices, including post offices and most government services, close on February 16, while banks, stock markets and many private businesses observe it with time off or limited operations. This year’s observance arrives just two days after Valentine’s Day, creating a short workweek for those with Monday off.
Federal Holiday Status Confirmed Yes, Presidents’ Day is a federal holiday. The U.S. Code (5 U.S.C. § 6103) explicitly names “Washington’s Birthday” as a federal holiday on the third Monday of February. The Uniform Monday Holiday Act of 1971 shifted it from February 22 (Washington’s actual birth date) to create consistent long weekends, boosting travel and commerce. While many states and the public call it Presidents’ Day—often encompassing Abraham Lincoln (born February 12) and other leaders—the federal designation remains Washington’s Birthday.
OPM’s 2026 calendar confirms the date: Monday, February 16. Federal employees receive paid leave, and nonessential government operations pause. This aligns with the full 2026 federal holiday schedule, including New Year’s Day (Jan. 1), Martin Luther King Jr. Day (Jan. 19), Memorial Day (May 25), Juneteenth (June 19), Independence Day (July 4, observed July 3 if needed), Labor Day (Sept. 7), Columbus Day (Oct. 12), Veterans Day (Nov. 11), Thanksgiving (Nov. 26) and Christmas (Dec. 25).
Historical Evolution The holiday originated in 1879 when Congress made Washington’s birthday a federal holiday, the first to honor an individual’s birth date. Early celebrations date back to Washington’s lifetime, with formal recognition growing after his 1799 death. The 1971 law consolidated it with Lincoln’s birthday observances in many places, leading to the “Presidents’ Day” moniker in commercial and state contexts. Wikipedia and Mount Vernon sources note that while the federal name is Washington’s Birthday, most states adopt Presidents’ Day or similar variations (e.g., Washington and Lincoln Day in some).
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No recent legislative changes have altered its status. Proposals to rename it officially Presidents’ Day or add other presidents have surfaced periodically but never passed. As of mid-February 2026, it retains its original federal purpose while serving as a broader tribute to executive leadership.
What Closes on Presidents’ Day 2026 Federal closures are widespread:
U.S. Postal Service: No regular mail delivery; post offices closed (though some Priority Mail may move).
Banks and financial markets: Most banks closed; NYSE and Nasdaq shut.
Federal courts and offices: Closed, including nonessential agencies.
Schools: Many districts schedule February break around the holiday, creating a midwinter recess.
Private sector: Varies—many offices offer the day off, but retail and service industries often stay open for sales.
Sales and Shopping Impact Presidents’ Day weekend drives major retail events, often rivaling Black Friday for discounts. In 2026, expect promotions on appliances, mattresses, cars and furniture. Major chains like Macy’s, Best Buy and car dealerships launch “Presidents’ Day Sales” starting early February. Online deals on Amazon, Walmart and Target spike, with beauty, electronics and home goods featured prominently. USA Today and other outlets highlight it as a prime time for big-ticket purchases before spring.
Cultural and Educational Significance The holiday offers opportunities for reflection on presidential legacies. Schools often teach about Washington, Lincoln and other leaders. Museums like Mount Vernon host events, while civic groups host parades or reenactments. In a politically polarized era, it remains a unifying nod to democratic institutions, though public discourse sometimes debates its name and scope.
What It Means for 2026 With February 16 falling mid-month, the three-day weekend (Saturday Feb. 14 through Monday) follows Valentine’s Day, blending romance with rest. No major disruptions from weather or events are reported as of February 15. For travelers, airports and trains run normally, though expect crowds.
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In summary, Presidents’ Day 2026 is unequivocally a federal holiday, closing government services and providing paid leave while fueling sales and family time. Its dual identity—official Washington’s Birthday, popular Presidents’ Day—reflects America’s evolving holiday traditions. Whether using the day for rest, shopping or historical reflection, it underscores the enduring role of the presidency in national life.
The IPO of Innovision witnessed a decline in subscription, with the issue recording bids of about 30% overall even after the company extended the subscription window following muted demand in the initial bidding period. The IPO had received 32% subscription by the end of Day 3, when the original bidding period closed. Despite the extension, the latest data shows participation slipping slightly.
Within investor categories, the retail portion was subscribed 26%, while the non-institutional investor (NII) category saw 35% subscription. Demand from institutional investors remained relatively stronger, with the qualified institutional buyer (QIB) portion subscribed 95%.
The IPO was originally open for subscription between March 10 and March 12, but the company decided to extend the bidding period until March 17 after the issue failed to garner full subscription in the initial window.
Alongside the extension, Innovision also revised the price band downward to Rs 494-519 per share from the earlier Rs 521-548 range, effective March 13, in an attempt to attract additional investor interest.
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The company is looking to raise about Rs 323 crore through the public issue. The offer comprises a fresh issue of Rs 255 crore and an offer for sale worth Rs 68 crore by existing shareholders.
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Grey market indicators also reflect the cautious sentiment around the offering. The IPO is currently commanding a grey market premium of around 0%, signalling expectations of a flat listing. Innovision operates in the manpower services and infrastructure support sector, offering workforce solutions, toll plaza management and skill development training to enterprises and infrastructure operators across India.The company initially began operations in manned private security services, before expanding into broader manpower outsourcing solutions. It subsequently entered the skill development segment in FY14 and later moved into toll management services from FY19.
Currently, Innovision operates across 23 states and five union territories, providing operational and workforce management services to clients through long-term contracts and service agreements.
Financially, the company has posted strong revenue growth over the past few years. Revenue increased to Rs 896 crore in FY25, compared with Rs 512 crore in FY24 and Rs 258 crore in FY23.
Profit after tax also rose to Rs 29 crore in FY25, up from Rs 10 crore in FY24 and Rs 9 crore in FY23. However, profitability remains modest given the nature of the business. The company reported an EBITDA margin of around 5.78% in FY25, reflecting the manpower-intensive nature of its operations.
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Proceeds from the fresh issue are proposed to be utilised for repayment or prepayment of certain borrowings, funding working capital requirements and general corporate purposes.
Omnicom Group Inc. (OMC) Analyst/Investor Day March 12, 2026 9:00 AM EDT
Company Participants
Gregory Lundberg – Senior Vice President of Investor Relations John Wren – Chairman & CEO Daryl Simm – Co-President & Co-COO George Manas – Chief Executive Officer of OMD Worldwide Ellen Griffin Deepthi Prakash Jantzen M. Bridges Jacki Kelley Paolo Yuvienco – Executive VP & Chief Technology Officer Christine Gambino Philip Angelastro – Executive VP & CFO Philippe Krakowsky – Co-President, Co-COO & Director
Conference Call Participants
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Thomas Yeh – Morgan Stanley, Research Division Steven Cahall – Wells Fargo Securities, LLC, Research Division Jason Bazinet – Citigroup Inc., Research Division Adrien de Saint Hilaire – BofA Securities, Research Division Julien Roch – Barclays Bank PLC, Research Division Timothy Nollen – SSR LLC David Karnovsky – JPMorgan Chase & Co, Research Division Jason Samwick
Presentation
Gregory Lundberg Senior Vice President of Investor Relations
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Good morning. I’m Greg Lundberg, Head of Investor Relations for Omnicom. Welcome to our Investor Day. You get every year one of these. Thank you for taking the time to be here. A little housekeeping before we get started. Please silence your phone and if you do have to make a call, feel free to step out to the reception area. In the event of an emergency, the venues personnel will be directing us in the closest exits through the doors that you came into today.
A lot of great content today, and we’re going to punctuate it with a couple of short breaks. And after all the presentations, we’re going to have a Q&A session, and we request that you please hold your questions until then. And now for our disclaimer. Certain of the statements made today may constitute forward-looking statements. These represent our present expectations and relevant factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those are listed in our SEC filings, including our 2025 Form 10-K. After today’s event concludes, an archived webcast of this will
Starbucks union members and their supporters, including baristas who have just walked off the job, effectively closing a local branch, picket in front of the store, Feb. 28, 2025 in New York City.
Andrew Lichtenstein | Corbis News | Getty Images
Starbucks Workers United presented the company with a comprehensive proposed contract last month, the union said on a call with investors on Friday, as baristas attempt to strike their first labor agreement with the coffee giant.
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Here’s what baristas asked for in that proposal:
Protections for union baristas against discrimination, unjust firings and temporary or permanent store closures
Starting wage floor of $17 per hour, down from its prior proposal of $20 an hour but still above the company’s current starting wage of $15.25 to $16 an hour in 43 states
Annual raises of 4%
A process for baristas, management and union representatives to resolve workforce grievances
A dress code endorsed by the union
Requirement for at least three workers on the floor at all times and enforceable staffing and safety protections
A mandate to offer open hours to existing employees before hiring new baristas
Resolution of hundreds of outstanding unfair labor practice charges
The union said that Starbucks has not yet responded to the substance of the proposal.
The coffee giant told CNBC that it would like to restart talks with Workers United as soon as this month.
“Starbucks has proposed to resume in-person bargaining with Workers United on March 30 and to remain available for continued negotiations throughout April,” Starbucks spokesperson Jaci Anderson said in a statement.
Workers United represents about 6% of Starbucks’ company-owned locations in the U.S., according to regulatory filings.
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The announcement comes months after bargaining talks between the two parties hit a wall. Starbucks and the union last held formal negotiations in December 2024. Several months later, the two parties met for mediation, but hundreds of barista delegates voted down the economic package proposed by the company in April.
Over the holiday season, baristas in more than 40 cities held an open-ended strike that stretched on for several weeks. The work stoppage led to dozens of temporary store closures for the coffee chain during its busiest time, although the company said it didn’t materially affect its business.
Starbucks’ strained relations with its baristas will also likely garner attention at its annual meeting for shareholders, held on March 25.
A group of investors led by union-affiliated SOC Investment Group is urging shareholders to vote against the reelection of directors Jørgen Vig Knudstorp and Beth Ford, citing their oversight roles tied to the company’s labor relations. Proxy advisory firm Glass Lewis has recommended voting against the reelection of Ford, chair of the nominating and corporate governance committee.
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The prolonged battle between the company and its baristas poses a potential roadblock to Starbucks as it attempts a turnaround of its sluggish U.S. business. During the company’s holiday quarter, its store traffic rose for the first time in two years.
In Starbucks’ most recent annual filing, the company noted potential risks ahead, like further work stoppages or harm to its reputation and brand.
A version of this article first appeared in the CNBC Property Play newsletter with Diana Olick. Property Play covers new and evolving opportunities for the real estate investor, from individuals to venture capitalists, private equity funds, family offices, institutional investors and large public companies. Sign up to receive future editions, straight to your inbox. After a promising 2025 for commercial real estate deal volume, this year started with a fizzle. The one standout in January was big sales by Blackstone . Blackstone appears to be rebalancing its portfolio, selling off legacy holdings and moving to data centers, high-end apartments and logistics. For the core five real estate sectors, total deal dollar volume in January was $20.8 billion, a drop of 15% year over year, according to monthly data provided by Moody’s as a media exclusive to CNBC’s Property Play. It tracks the top 50 commercial real estate property sales across the U.S., in the core segments of multifamily, office, industrial, retail and hotel. January also marked the lowest transaction activity by sale count since April 2024, signaling that while large institutional deals are getting done, the middle-market volume is getting hit by tighter credit standards and bid-ask spreads. “January 2026 marked a sluggish start to the year for CRE transaction activity,” said Kevin Fagan, head of CRE capital market research at Moody’s. “The market’s still grappling with hopes and dreams of interest rate stabilization, general economic and political turmoil, a widening bifurcation of property sectors, and a search for yield that has made esoteric and more complex deals commonplace.” Demand and liquidity are definitely there, but in a continuing high interest rate environment, “the ‘extend and pretend’ era is gradually giving way to forced recapitalizations and strategic portfolio pruning,” he said. Investors are now favoring logistics, multifamily and alternative assets, such as data centers and student housing. While the office sector is slowly recovering, deal volume is furthest from its pre-Covid norms. Industrial, however, is just 11% below its previous demand level. For example, the third-largest deal of the month was the $412 million sale of The Brickyard in Los Angeles to Clarion Partners. This is a large-footprint infill logistics site, giving a glimpse into how much institutional capital is willing to pay for that. The biggest deal of the month, Blackstone’s $730 billion sale of Park Avenue Tower to SL Green, showed that while demand is coming back for office, it is only for trophy office and assets at bargain basement prices. Another office sale, Seattle’s Westlake Tower, considered an obsolete property, sold in a foreclosure transfer at a deep discount. As was the case in December, while volume was down across all segments, large deals, those above $100 million, did see positive year-over-year growth. “This highlights a top-heavy liquidity market where mega-funds, sovereign wealth, private equity, and some REITs are deploying capital strictly into high-conviction, large-scale assets,” Fagan said, using the abbreviation for a real estate investment trust. “Debt capital is readily available for top-tier sponsors buying premium assets, effectively squeezing out middle-market syndicators.” The second-largest deal of the month, Blackstone’s $424.4 million sale of the mixed-use Skyview Park development in Queens, New York, to TPG, was indicative of private equity’s enthusiasm for high-density cash flows in prime markets. Blackstone also sold Streets of Woodfield, a retail center in the Chicago suburbs, to Hutensky Capital for $69 million. One more growing trend in the deal report is the government’s purchase of warehouse properties for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement immigrant detention centers. The General Services Administration and ICE are bypassing traditional leasing models and straight out buying the properties. ICE made a $102.4 million acquisition of a warehouse in Williamsport, Maryland, and a $70 million acquisition of the Surprise Pointe Commerce Center in Arizona, with plans to convert them into detention centers. Correction: This story has been updated to remove inaccurate information from Moody’s about Blackstone commercial real estate sales in January.
Good morning, everyone. Before we begin the official remarks, I will read the cautionary note regarding forward-looking information. Certain information to be discussed during this call contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable security laws, including, among others, statements concerning the company’s objectives, the company’s strategy to achieve those objectives as well as statements with respect to management’s beliefs, plans, estimates and intentions and similar statements concerning anticipated future events, results, circumstances, performance or expectations that are not historical facts.
Such forward-looking statements reflect management’s current beliefs and are based on information currently available to management and is subject to a number of significant risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated. Please refer to the cautionary statement and the risk factors identified in our filings with SEDAR for a more detailed explanation of the inherent risks and uncertainties that could affect such forward-looking statements.
Following the presentation, we will conduct a Q&A session. I would now like to turn the conference call over to Simon Cairns, Chief Executive Officer.
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Simon Cairns Chief Executive Officer
Thank you, Steve, and good morning, everyone. Thank you for joining us for illumin’s Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2025 Earnings Call. 2025 was a year in which illumin repositioned the business and our platform towards AI-assisted decision-making and not just campaign spending. This marks a significant shift from how illumin has historically positioned itself and its brand.
A significant rise in quarterly sales on a year-over-year (YoY) basis indicates strong business growth and increased demand. Among the NSE midcap segment (excluding banking and financial stocks), the top 10 companies recorded over 50% sales growth in the December 2025 quarter compared to the same period in 2024, according to turnover scan data from StockEdge.com. This substantial increase in quarterly sales indicates strong business expansion and demand. This trend showcases a company’s capacity to attract and retain customers, suggesting potential for continued success. However, it is essential to evaluate the sustainability of this growth.
The Reserve Bank of India stepped up its government bond purchases from the secondary market to a record level in the week ended March 6, data showed on Friday, as the central bank tried to stabilize the market roiled by the Middle East war.
The Reserve Bank of India net bought bonds worth 572.10 billion rupees ($6.20 billion) over the four trading sessions in the week, making it the third consecutive week of purchases. The settlement of the transactions takes place one day after the trade.
* Infusing liquidity is the main purpose of bond purchases, but they also impact yields
* RBI had bought bonds worth 99 billion rupees in the week ended February 27 and 28.15 billion rupees in the week ended February 20
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* RBI had bought bonds worth 173.95 billion rupees in January, 41.55 billion rupees in December and 272.80 billion rupees in November, taking aggregate secondary market purchase to 1.19 trillion rupees for the financial year
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* “From a demand vs supply narrative, markets have remained well supported as RBI has continued to undertake on-screen as well as scheduled OMOs,” Basant Bafna, head of fixed income at Mirae Asset Investment Managers (India) * “With supply for the financial year having been completed, support from RBI has helped anchor yields.”* RBI has bought bonds worth a record 8.53 trillion rupees so far this year
* Total liquidity infusion, including other measures this fiscal is at 13.33 trillion rupees
* Traders say, the central bank was an active buyer in the secondary market in the current week, and also anticipate purchases to continue till the end of the financial year
A survey from Cardiff Council shows strong support for a visitor levy
Cardiff.(Image: Getty Images)
Cardiff could become the first place in Wales to charge visitors to stay in the city after a 12-week consultation showed most people in the city approved of a proposal to introduce a visitor levy.
The levy proposed by the council would see anyone staying in the Welsh capital for 31 nights or fewer, including in hotels, guesthouses, hostels, Airbnbs, campsites and temporary event accommodation pay a fee.
More than 1,500 people responded to the consultation from Cardiff Council that began on December 1, with the results showing support for the proposed levy, with 62% in favour, 33% opposed and 4% neutral.
If approved, the fee will be £1.30 per person per night for most accommodation types or 75p per person per night for campsites and shared rooms such as hostels.
Cardiff council’s cabinet will meet on Thursday to consider the recommendations contained in the report. It is estimated £3.5m will be raised annually through charging visitors to stay in Cardiff.
There will be exemptions for people under 18 staying on campsites or in shared rooms, people staying more than 31 nights in a single booking, and those in emergency or temporary accommodation arranged by the council.
While positive feedback was given by residents who believed that a modest charge could help support tourism in Cardiff, some respondents raised concerns.
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Issues included the potential impact on visitor numbers, the risk of revenue being absorbed by administrative or unrelated budgets, and the additional burden on accommodation providers.
A statement from Cardiff council reads: “Across all the responses there was a strong call to ring-fence the income raised, with clear accountability, so the revenue from the levy is visibly reinvested to improve Cardiff as a tourist destination, as well as address any impacts of increased visitor numbers.
“The areas attracting the strongest support for investment include the promotion and marketing of the city, visitor infrastructure and making the city welcoming for visitors.
“The money raised, estimated at £3.5m each year, would be paid to the Welsh Revenue Authority which would then pass the levy on to local authorities. The funding would be used to support Cardiff’s visitor economy, with a new visitor levy partnership forum established to advise on how the funds would be used.”
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Councillor Russell Goodway, Cardiff council’s cabinet member for investment and development, said: “The responses to the consultation on the proposed visitor levy are very helpful as they clearly set out what businesses and residents want us to focus on.
“If the proposal is approved by both cabinet and full council, a memorandum of understanding will be agreed and signed between Cardiff council and UKHospitality and a visitor levy partnership forum will be set up to advise on how the funds are used and help shape Cardiff’s tourism strategy.
“This income would bring additionality to the services and promotions we can provide, improving the experience for visitors and residents alike. The proposed charge, set out in legislation, is significantly lower than the typical charge seen across Europe.”
