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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 09, 2024
00:00
CHF
Ascension Day
{previous}
{forecast}
{actual}
00:00
EUR
Ascension Day
{previous}
{forecast}
{actual}
00:00
EUR
Ascension Day
{previous}
{forecast}
{actual}
00:00
EUR
Ascension Day
{previous}
{forecast}
{actual}
00:00
EUR
Anniversary of Robert Schumans Declaration
{previous}
{forecast}
{actual}
00:00
RUB
Victory Day
{previous}
{forecast}
{actual}
01:30
AUD
Private House Approvals MoM Final
{previous}
12.4%
{forecast}
3.8%
{actual}
01:30
AUD
Building Permits MoM Final
{previous}
-0.9%
{forecast}
1.9%
{actual}
In Australia, Dwelling Approvals MoM show the monthly change in the number of total dwelling units approved, including building activity carried out on existing buildings.
03:00
CNY
Exports YoY
{previous}
-7.5%
{forecast}
1%
{actual}
03:00
CNY
Imports YoY
{previous}
-1.9%
{forecast}
5.4%
{actual}
03:00
CNY
Balance of Trade
{previous}
$58.55B
{forecast}
$76.7B
{actual}
Since 1995, China has been recording consistent trade surpluses. In 2022, the trade surplus surged 31% to USD 876.91 billion, the highest since records started in 1950, with exports rising 7% and imports up 1%.
03:35
JPY
6-Month Bill Auction
{previous}
0.0418%
{forecast}
{actual}
05:00
JPY
Leading Economic Index Prel
{previous}
111.8
{forecast}
111
{actual}
In Japan, the Leading Composite Index consists of 12 indexes such as account inventory ratios, machinery orders, stock prices and other leading economic indicators. The index anticipates changes in the direction of the Japanese economy in the coming months. In general, increase in the index reflects that the economy is in an expansion phase, and decreasing coincident index reflects that the economy is in a contraction phase. The index is used to make official judgement on when the business cycle begins and ends.
05:00
JPY
Coincident Index Prel
{previous}
111.6
{forecast}
{actual}
Coincident Index correlates with the business cycle, and is used to identify the current state of the economy. In general, increasing coincident index shows that the economy is in an expansion phase, and decreasing coincident index reflects that the economy is in a contraction phase. The index is calculated using month-over-month percentage changes in 11 leading indicators, 11 coincident indicators, and 6 lagging indicators.
05:00
SGD
6-Month T-Bill Auction
{previous}
3.74%
{forecast}
{actual}
07:30
TRY
Inflation Report
{previous}
{forecast}
{actual}
In Turkey, benchmark interest rates are set by the Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey Monetary Policy Committee (Türkiye Cumhuriyet Merkez Bankasi - TCMB). From June 1st 2018, the main interest rate is the one-week repo rate and the overnight borrowing and lending rates will be determined at 150 bps below/above the one-week repo rate. The central bank simplified its monetary policy framework on May 28th 2018 from a different system with four main key rates, with the late liquidity window lending rate being one of the most followed.
07:55
EUR
ECB McCaul Speech
{previous}
{forecast}
{actual}
In the Euro Area, benchmark interest rate is set by the Governing Council of the European Central Bank. The primary objective of the ECB’s monetary policy is to maintain price stability which is to keep inflation below, but close to 2 percent over the medium term. In times of prolonged low inflation and low interest rates, ECB may also adopt non-standard monetary policy measures, such as asset purchase programmes. The official interest rate is the Main refinancing operations rate.
11:00
GBP
BoE Interest Rate Decision
{previous}
5.25%
{forecast}
5.25%
{actual}
In the United Kingdom, benchmark interest rate is set by the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC). The Bank of England official interest rate is the repo rate. This repo rate applies to open market operations of the Bank of England with a group of counterparties (banks, building societies, securities firms).
11:00
ZAR
Manufacturing Production YoY
{previous}
4.1%
{forecast}
{actual}
In South Africa, industrial production measures the output of businesses integrated in the manufacturing sector of the economy.
11:00
GBP
BoE MPC Vote Unchanged
{previous}
8/9
{forecast}
8/9
{actual}
In the United Kingdom, benchmark interest rate is set by the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC). The Bank of England official interest rate is the repo rate. This repo rate applies to open market operations of the Bank of England with a group of counterparties (banks, building societies, securities firms).
