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What is the economic calendar?
Economic calendar, also known as Forex economic calendar or FX Calendar, is a tool that allows traders to make the fundamental analysis of financial markets based on economic news. That is – you will be able to see macroeconomic events that move the market and make Forex trading decisions based on the data.
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What data is included in the economic calendar?
The economic calendar includes information about major economic events, as well as political news and the impact they have on the Forex market. All these financial events are used as economic indicators.
The economic events calendar also shows the time and date of when the indicator data was released, the currency that they are expected to affect, and each indicator's impact level. Most indicators have numerical values, which may be expressed as a percentage or as a currency value. They reflect the impact the particular indicator had or is going to have, either positive or negative.
Our forex economic calendar has three columns to show the value of economic indicators: Previous, Forecast, and Actual:
- Previous shows the value the indicator had in the previous period (usually, one month or one year);
- Forecast shows the estimated value of the indicator based on a survey of 20-240 economists;
- Actual is the value published by an official source like a national statistics agency or an analytical center.
We also provide additional information about the specific indicators and the graphs showing changes in value by month or year – click the indicator you're interested in to learn more.
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How to read the economic calendar?
Sometimes the number of current economic events can be overwhelming. So, first of all, make sure to use filters to see the most relevant indicators for your Forex trading. For example, you can choose currencies that you are planning on trading or the indicator impact.
At the top of our Forex trading calendar, choose the most convenient time zone.
Use numeric values of the indicators to navigate market changes. This is why forecasts and actual release figures are essential. Compare the numbers: if the Actual value is bigger than the forecast, this is good for the currency and it is likely to go up in price; if the Actual value is lower than the Forecast, it is likely to drop.
You can apply similar logic to the Previous and Forecast values before the actual data is released, but be careful – forecasts are always preliminary and actual figures might be drastically different.
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What economic indicators are there?
Economic indicators are major economic events that are used to interpret investment opportunities in Forex trading. They usually are macroeconomic events that affect currencies and stock prices.
The indicators can be leading (predict upcoming changes), coincident (show the current economic state of the particular area) and lagging (confirm patterns and trends).
Top economic indicators:
- The US Treasury Yield Curve – shows the ratio between short-term Treasury bills and long-term Treasury bonds. This indicator successfully predicted eight major recessions of the past years.
- GDP (Gross Domestic Product) – one of the most critical metrics of the economy's health. It is a lagging indicator, so it shows what has already happened, but can be a great marker of an upcoming recession.
- Unemployment Rate – this is a percentage of people seeking jobs and will indicate how healthy the labor force and, thus, the economy really is.
- Interest Rates – another lagging indicator that shows economic growth. It can affect GDP and inflation, so be aware of this one.
These are some of the few important indicators. Make sure to follow our daily trading plans from FBS analysts to learn more about the current trading news events and how they will affect your Forex trading.
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How to trade the news?
The financial events are typically scheduled ahead of time. There are usually predictions ahead of the release (Forecast column in our Forex news calendar) of how it will affect the market. Some traders choose to open positions depending on their expectations of economic indicator reports: if they expect a particular indicator to move the currency up, they buy it and vice versa. Other traders dislike rapid price movements that may happen when indicators are released, so they steer clear of using the FX calendar and trading the news.
There are many news trading strategies: you have to use the one you find best suited for your trading style. FBS, apart from providing all the necessary services for trading, also have all the vital information for any trader's needs. Check out our news section to be aware of possible market movements.
Even if you are not one to trade the news, you should still check the trading economic calendar or read about current economic events regularly because they are likely to affect market volatility.
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Is the economic calendar updated in real-time?
Our major economic events calendar is updated automatically as the reports come out. FBS is there to offer timely updates to the economic calendar, but we cannot be held accountable for any delays due to the immoderate flow of trading news events.
Economic Calendar
List of important economic releases
Time
Impact
Currency
Event
Previous
Forecast
Actual
May 14, 2024
03:35
JPY
5-Year JGB Auction
{previous}
0.404%
{forecast}
{actual}
05:00
SGD
MAS 4-Week Bill Auction
{previous}
{forecast}
{actual}
05:00
SGD
MAS 12-Week Bill Auction
{previous}
{forecast}
{actual}
06:00
GBP
HMRC Payrolls Change
{previous}
-67K
{forecast}
{actual}
In the UK, the number of payrolled employees is defined as the number of people receiving paid remuneration included in PAYE RTI within the reference period, including people who have not done work but are an employee - such as those on paid leave.
06:00
EUR
CPI
{previous}
{forecast}
{actual}
In Germany, the most important categories in the consumer price index are Housing, water, electricity, gas & other fuels (32 percent of the total weight), Transport (13 percent), Recreation, entertainment & culture (11 percent) and Food & non-alcoholic beverages (10 percent). The index also includes Miscellaneous goods & services (7 percent), Furniture, lighting equipment, appliances & other household equipment (5 percent), Restaurant & accommodation services (5 percent), Health (5 percent) and Clothing & footwear (5 percent). The remaining 7 percent of the index is composed by Alcoholic beverages & tobacco, Communication and Education.
.
06:00
EUR
Inflation Rate YoY Final
{previous}
2.2%
{forecast}
2.2%
{actual}
In Germany, the most important categories in the consumer price index are Housing, water, electricity, gas & other fuels (32 percent of the total weight), Transport (13 percent), Recreation, entertainment & culture (11 percent) and Food & non-alcoholic beverages (10 percent). The index also includes Miscellaneous goods & services (7 percent), Furniture, lighting equipment, appliances & other household equipment (5 percent), Restaurant & accommodation services (5 percent), Health (5 percent) and Clothing & footwear (5 percent). The remaining 7 percent of the index is composed of Alcoholic beverages & tobacco, Communication and Education.
06:00
GBP
Labour Productivity QoQ Prel
{previous}
{forecast}
{actual}
In the United Kingdom, Productivity is the real value of output produced by a unit of labor during a certain time.
06:00
EUR
Harmonised Inflation Rate MoM Final
{previous}
0.6%
{forecast}
0.6%
{actual}
06:00
GBP
Average Earnings incl. Bonus (3Mo/Yr)
{previous}
5.6%
{forecast}
{actual}
In the United Kingdom, wage growth refers to changes in average weekly earnings, before tax and other deductions and including bonuses.
06:00
GBP
Employment Change
{previous}
-156K
{forecast}
{actual}
In the United Kingdom, employment change refers to the 3-month moving average compared to the previous period in the number of people in employment aged 16 and over.
06:00
GBP
Claimant Count Change
{previous}
10.9K
{forecast}
{actual}
Claimant count in the United Kingdom measures the change in the number of people claiming unemployment related benefits.
06:00
GBP
Average Earnings excl. Bonus (3Mo/Yr)
{previous}
6%
{forecast}
{actual}
In the United Kingdom, Average Earnings Excluding Bonuses refers to changes in average weekly earnings, before tax and other deductions and excluding bonuses.
06:00
EUR
Inflation Rate MoM Final
{previous}
0.4%
{forecast}
0.5%
{actual}
In Germany, the most important categories in the consumer price index are Housing, water, electricity, gas & other fuels (32 percent of the total weight), Transport (13 percent), Recreation, entertainment & culture (11 percent) and Food & non-alcoholic beverages (10 percent). The index also includes Miscellaneous goods & services (7 percent), Furniture, lighting equipment, appliances & other household equipment (5 percent), Restaurant & accommodation services (5 percent), Health (5 percent) and Clothing & footwear (5 percent). The remaining 7 percent of the index is composed by Alcoholic beverages & tobacco, Communication and Education.
06:00
GBP
Labour Productivity QoQ Final
{previous}
0.7%
{forecast}
{actual}
In the United Kingdom, Productivity is the real value of output produced by a unit of labor during a certain time.
06:00
EUR
Harmonised Inflation Rate YoY Final
{previous}
2.3%
{forecast}
2.4%
{actual}
The Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices (HICP) is an indicator of inflation and price stability for the European Central Bank (ECB). The HICP is compiled by Eurostat and the national statistical institutes in accordance with harmonised statistical methods. The ECB aims to maintain annual inflation rates as measured by the HICP below, but close to, 2% over the medium term.
06:00
GBP
Unemployment Rate
{previous}
4.2%
{forecast}
{actual}
In the United Kingdom, the unemployment rate measures the number of people actively looking for a job as a percentage of the labour force.
06:30
CHF
Producer & Import Prices YoY
{previous}
-2.1%
{forecast}
{actual}
In Switzerland, the Producer Price Index (PPI) is officially named “Producer and Import Price Index”. Producer price index measures the price development of goods that are produced and sold by enterprises operating within the country and the import price index measures the price development of imported goods. Only domestic sales are considered for the producer price index when combining the indices.
06:30
CHF
Producer & Import Prices MoM
{previous}
0.1%
{forecast}
{actual}
In Switzerland, the producer price index (which measures the price development of goods that are produced and sold by enterprises operating within the country) and the import price index (which measures the price development of imported goods) are combined into the price index for the whole range of goods. Only domestic sales are considered for the producer price index when combining the indices.
09:00
EUR
ZEW Economic Sentiment Index
{previous}
43.9
{forecast}
{actual}
In the Euro Area, the ZEW Economic Sentiment Index measures the level of optimism that analysts have about the expected economic developments over the next 6 months. The survey covers up to 350 financial and economic analysts. The index is constructed as the difference between the percentage share of analysts that are optimistic and the percentage of analysts that are pessimistic about the development of the economy. Therefore, the ZEW indicator measures the confidence on a scale of -100 (all analysts expect the economy to deteriorate) up to 100 (all analysts expect it to improve). A 0 value indicates neutrality.
09:00
EUR
ZEW Current Conditions
{previous}
-79.2
{forecast}
{actual}
In Germany, the ZEW Current Conditions Index measures the level of optimism that analysts have about the current economic situation. The survey covers up to 350 financial and economic analysts. The index is constructed as the difference between the percentage share of analysts that are optimistic and the percentage of analysts that are pessimistic about the economy. Therefore, the ZEW indicator measures the confidence on a scale of -100 (all analysts see deteriorating economic conditions) up to 100 (all analysts see improving economic conditions). A 0 value indicates neutrality.
