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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
Apr 30, 2024
12:00
BRL
PPI MoM
{previous}
0.06%
{forecast}
{actual}
12:00
MXN
GDP Growth Rate QoQ Prel
{previous}
0.1%
{forecast}
{actual}
In Mexico, services account for 62 percent of total GDP. The biggest segments within services are: wholesale and retail trade (16 percent); real estate (10 percent); transport, warehousing and communications (7 percent) and financial services and insurance (6 percent). Industry constitutes 18 percent of output and the largest segments within this sector are: automobile industry (4 percent of total GDP) and food industry (3.8 percent). The remaining share is divided by: construction, water, gas and electricity distribution (8 percent), mining (5 percent), government (4 percent ) and agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting (3 percent).
12:00
MXN
GDP Growth Rate YoY Prel
{previous}
2.5%
{forecast}
{actual}
Mexico is the second largest economy in Latin America. The country has an export-oriented economy: more than 90 percent of trade is under free trade agreements. In Mexico, services account for 62 percent of total GDP. The biggest segments within services are: wholesale and retail trade (16 percent); real estate (10 percent); transport, warehousing and communications (7 percent) and financial services and insurance (6 percent). Industry constitutes 18 percent of output and the largest segments within this sector are: automobile industry (4 percent of total GDP) and food industry (3.8 percent). The remaining share is divided by: construction, water, gas and electricity distribution (8 percent), mining (5 percent), government (4 percent ) and agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting (3 percent).
12:30
USD
Employment Cost - Benefits QoQ
{previous}
0.7%
{forecast}
{actual}
The Employment Cost Index (ECI) is a measure of the change in the cost of labor, independent of the influence of employment shifts among occupations and industry categories. The total compensation series includes changes in wages and salaries and in employer costs for employee benefits. The ECI calculates indexes of total compensation, wages and salaries, and benefits separately for all civilian workers in the United States, for private industry workers, and for workers in state and local government.
12:30
CAD
GDP MoM Prel
{previous}
0.4%
{forecast}
{actual}
In Canada, Monthly GDP MoM measures the change in the value of the goods and services produced by the country's economy compared to the previous month.
12:30
USD
Employment Cost - Wages QoQ
{previous}
0.9%
{forecast}
{actual}
The Employment Cost Index (ECI) is a measure of the change in the cost of labor, independent of the influence of employment shifts among occupations and industry categories. The total compensation series includes changes in wages and salaries and in employer costs for employee benefits. The ECI calculates indexes of total compensation, wages and salaries, and benefits separately for all civilian workers in the United States, for private industry workers, and for workers in state and local government.
12:30
USD
Employment Cost Index QoQ
{previous}
0.9%
{forecast}
{actual}
The Employment Cost Index (ECI) is a measure of the change in the cost of labor, independent of the influence of employment shifts among occupations and industry categories. The total compensation series includes changes in wages and salaries and in employer costs for employee benefits. The ECI calculates indexes of total compensation, wages and salaries, and benefits separately for all civilian workers in the United States, for private industry workers, and for workers in state and local government.
12:30
CAD
GDP MoM
{previous}
0.6%
{forecast}
{actual}
In Canada, Monthly GDP MoM measures the change in the value of the goods and services produced by the country's economy compared to the previous month.
12:55
USD
Redbook YoY
{previous}
{forecast}
{actual}
The Johnson Redbook Index is a sales-weighted of year-over-year same-store sales growth in a sample of large US general merchandise retailers representing about 9,000 stores. Same-store sales are sales in stores continuously open for 12 months or longer. By dollar value, the Index represents over 80% of the equivalent 'official' retail sales series collected and published by the US Department of Commerce. Redbook compiles the Index by collecting and interpreting performance estimates from retailers. The Index and its sub-groups are sales-weighted aggregates of these estimates. Weeks are retail weeks (Sunday to Saturday), and equally weighted within the month.
13:00
USD
House Price Index YoY
{previous}
6.3%
{forecast}
{actual}
The FHFA (Federal Housing Finance Agency) House Price Index measures month over month changes in average prices of single-family houses with mortgages guaranteed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
13:00
USD
House Price Index MoM
{previous}
-0.1%
{forecast}
{actual}
The FHFA (Federal Housing Finance Agency) House Price Index measures month over month changes in average prices of single-family houses with mortgages guaranteed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
13:00
USD
S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price YoY
{previous}
6.6%
{forecast}
{actual}
The S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller 20-City Composite Home Price Index measures changes in residential house prices in 20 metropolitan regions in the United States: Atlanta, Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Cleveland, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, Minneapolis, New York, Phoenix, Portland, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, Tampa and Washington D.C.
13:00
USD
S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price MoM
{previous}
-0.1%
{forecast}
{actual}
The S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller 20-City Composite Home Price Index measures changes in residential house prices in 20 metropolitan regions in the United States: Atlanta, Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Cleveland, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, Minneapolis, New York, Phoenix, Portland, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, Tampa and Washington D.C.
13:00
USD
House Price Index
{previous}
417.5
{forecast}
{actual}
The FHFA (Federal Housing Finance Agency) House Price Index measures month over month changes in average prices of single-family houses with mortgages guaranteed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
13:45
USD
Chicago PMI
{previous}
41.4
{forecast}
{actual}
The Chicago PMI (ISM-Chicago Business Barometer) measures the performance of the manufacturing and non-manufacturing sector in the Chicago region. The Index is computed from five weighted raw indexes: Production (0.25), New Orders (0.35), Order Backlog (0.15), Employment (0.10), and Supplier Deliveries (0.15) and then seasonally adjusted to support month-to-month comparisons. A reading above 50 indicates an expansion; below 50 represents a contraction; while 50 indicates no change. Chicago PMI is released one day before the ISM Manufacturing Index.
14:00
USD
CB Consumer Confidence
{previous}
104.7
{forecast}
{actual}
14:30
USD
Dallas Fed Services Index
{previous}
-5.5
{forecast}
{actual}
The Dallas Fed conducts the Texas Service Sector Outlook Survey monthly to obtain a timely assessment of the state's service sector activity. Firms are asked whether revenue, employment, prices, general business activity and other indicators increased, decreased or remained unchanged over the previous month. Responses are aggregated into balance indexes where positive values generally indicate growth while negative values generally indicate contraction.
14:30
USD
Dallas Fed Services Revenues Index
{previous}
4
{forecast}
{actual}
The Dallas Fed conducts the Texas Service Sector Outlook Survey monthly to obtain a timely assessment of the state's service sector activity. Firms are asked whether revenue, employment, prices, general business activity and other indicators increased, decreased or remained unchanged over the previous month. Responses are aggregated into balance indexes where positive values generally indicate growth while negative values generally indicate contraction.
15:30
RUB
M2 Money Supply YoY
{previous}
18.4%
{forecast}
{actual}
Russia Money Supply M2 includes M1 plus short-term time deposits in banks.
20:30
USD
API Crude Oil Stock Change
{previous}
{forecast}
{actual}
Stocks of crude oil refer to the weekly change of the crude oil supply situation.
