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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
15:30
USD
4-Week Bill Auction
{previous}
5.275%
{forecast}
{actual}
15:45
BRL
2-Year LTN Auction
{previous}
10.6840%
{forecast}
{actual}
15:45
BRL
10-Year NTN-F Auction
{previous}
11.7189%
{forecast}
{actual}
16:00
USD
15-Year Mortgage Rate
{previous}
{forecast}
{actual}
16:00
USD
30-Year Mortgage Rate
{previous}
{forecast}
{actual}
The Primary Mortgage Market Survey (PMMS) is focused on conventional, conforming, fully amortizing home purchase loans for borrowers who put 20 percent down and have excellent credit. Average commitment rates should be reported along with average fees and points to reflect the total upfront cost of obtaining the mortgage. The interest rate a lender would charge to lend mortgage money to a qualified borrower exclusive of the fees and points required by the lender. This commitment rate applies only to conventional financing on conforming mortgages with loan-to-value rates of 80 percent or less.
16:15
GBP
BoE Pill Speech
{previous}
{forecast}
{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).
17:00
USD
30-Year Bond Auction
{previous}
4.671%
{forecast}
{actual}
19:00
MXN
Interest Rate Decision
{previous}
11%
{forecast}
11%
{actual}
In Mexico, interest rate decisions are taken by the Bank of Mexico (Banco de México). Starting January of 2008, Banco de México has adopted as an operating target the overnight interbank rate (tasa de fondeo bancario) instead of the level of commercial banks’ current account balances at the central bank (corto).
22:30
NZD
Business NZ PMI
{previous}
47.1
{forecast}
{actual}
The Business NZ Performance of Manufacturing Index (PMI) is a composite index based on the diffusion indexes for production, new orders, delivered, inventories and employment. A reading above 50 indicates an expansion of the manufacturing sector compared to the previous month; below 50 represents a contraction; while 50 indicates no change.
23:30
JPY
Household Spending YoY
{previous}
-0.5%
{forecast}
-2.4%
{actual}
In Japan, Household Spending YoY refers to the annual change of consumption expenditures (on food, housing, utilities, furniture, clothing, health, education, transport, communication, leisure activities, etc.) in real terms for two-or-more-person households including agricultural, forestry and fisheries households.
23:30
JPY
Household Spending MoM
{previous}
1.4%
{forecast}
-0.3%
{actual}
In Japan, Household Spending MoM refers to the monthly change of consumption expenditures (on food, housing, utilities, furniture, clothing, health, education, transport, communication, leisure activities, etc.) in real terms for two-or-more-person households including agricultural, forestry and fisheries households.
23:50
JPY
Current Account
{previous}
¥2644.2B
{forecast}
¥3489.6B
{actual}
Current Account is the sum of the balance of trade (exports minus imports of goods and services), net factor income (such as interest and dividends) and net transfer payments (such as foreign aid).
23:50
JPY
Bank Lending YoY
{previous}
3.2%
{forecast}
3.1%
{actual}
In Japan, bank lending refers to the year-on-year change of all outstanding loans and discounts with banks and shinkin banks. Lending increases with increased business confidence and investment and it is an important indicator for the Japanese economy because of the weakness that has plagued the Japanese banking sector.
