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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 15, 2024
11:00
USD
MBA Mortgage Market Index
{previous}
{forecast}
{actual}
The MBA Weekly Mortgage Application Survey is a comprehensive overview of the nationwide mortgage market and covers all types of mortgage originators, including commercial banks, thrift institutions and mortgage banking companies. The entire market is represented by the Market Index which covers all mortgage applications during the week. This includes all conventional and government applications, all fixed-rate mortgages (FRMs), all adjustable-rate mortgages (ARMs), whether for a purchase or to refinance.
11:00
ZAR
Retail Sales MoM
{previous}
{forecast}
{actual}
In South Africa, the Retail sales report provides an aggregated measure of sales of retail goods and services over a specific time period. In South Africa, Retail sales are seasonal, volatile and relatively important to the overall economy.
11:00
USD
MBA Mortgage Refinance Index
{previous}
{forecast}
{actual}
The MBA Weekly Mortgage Application Survey is a comprehensive overview of the nationwide mortgage market and covers all types of mortgage originators, including commercial banks, thrift institutions and mortgage banking companies. The entire market is represented by the Market Index which covers all mortgage applications during the week. This includes all conventional and government applications, all fixed-rate mortgages (FRMs), all adjustable-rate mortgages (ARMs), whether for a purchase or to refinance.
11:00
USD
MBA 30-Year Mortgage Rate
{previous}
{forecast}
{actual}
MBA 30-Year Mortgage Rate is average 30-year fixed mortgage lending rate measured during the reported week and backed by the Mortgage Bankers Association.
11:00
USD
MBA Purchase Index
{previous}
{forecast}
{actual}
12:00
BRL
IBC-BR Economic Activity
{previous}
0.4%
{forecast}
{actual}
In Brazil, the Economic Activity Index (IBC-Br) is considered as a preview of the GDP figures and it is widely used by the Central Bank's Monetary Policy Committee to determine whether to modify basic interest rate. The index reflects the performance of the three main sectors of the economy: agriculture, industry and services and has a base value of 100 as of 2002.
12:15
CAD
Housing Starts
{previous}
242.2K
{forecast}
{actual}
In Canada, a housing start is defined as the beginning of construction work on the building where the dwelling unit will be located. This can be described in 2 ways: usually, the stage when the concrete has been poured for the whole of the footing around the structure; or an equivalent stage where a basement will not be part of the structure.
12:30
USD
Inflation Rate MoM
{previous}
0.4%
{forecast}
{actual}
Inflation Rate MoM measures month over month change in the price of goods and services.
12:30
USD
Inflation Rate YoY
{previous}
{forecast}
{actual}
In the United States, unadjusted Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers is based on the prices of a market basket of: Food (14% of total weight); Energy (8%); Commodities Less Food & Energy Commodities (21%) and Services Less Energy Services (57%). The last category is divided by: Shelter (32%), Medical Care Services (7%) and Transportation Services (6%).
12:30
USD
CPI
{previous}
312.33
{forecast}
{actual}
In the United States, the Consumer Price Index or CPI measures changes in the prices paid by consumers for a basket of goods and services.
12:30
USD
Retail Sales Ex Gas/Autos MoM
{previous}
1%
{forecast}
{actual}
Retail Sales Ex Gas and Autos in the US provides aggregated measure of sales of retail goods and services excluding motor vehicle dealers and gasoline station over a period of a month.
12:30
USD
NY Empire State Manufacturing Index
{previous}
-14.3
{forecast}
{actual}
New York Empire State Manufacturing Index is based on data compiled from the survey of 200 executives from the companies in the manufacturing sector in the New York State. Participants report the change in 11 indicators including level of general business activity, new orders, shipments, inventories, number of employees, delivery time, capital expenditure from the previous month and the likely direction of these indicators in six months. A reading above 0 indicates manufacturing activity is expanding, below 0 is contracting.
12:30
USD
Core Inflation Rate YoY
{previous}
3.8%
{forecast}
{actual}
In the United States, the core inflation rate tracks changes in prices that consumers pay for a basket of goods which excludes volatile food and fuel costs.
12:30
CAD
Manufacturing Sales MoM Final
{previous}
0.7%
{forecast}
{actual}
In Canada, Manufacturing Sales provides a current 'snapshot' of sales of goods manufactured values by the Canadian manufacturing sector, enabling analysis of the state of the Canadian economy, as well as the health of specific industries in the short- to medium-term.
12:30
USD
CPI s.a
{previous}
312.230
{forecast}
{actual}
In the United States, the Consumer Price Index or CPI measures changes in the prices paid by consumers for a basket of goods and services.
12:30
USD
Retail Sales Ex Autos MoM
{previous}
1.1%
{forecast}
{actual}
Retail Sales Ex Autos report in the US provides aggregated measure of sales of retail goods and services excluding the automobile sector over a period of a month.
12:30
USD
Core Inflation Rate MoM
{previous}
0.4%
{forecast}
{actual}
12:30
USD
Retail Sales YoY
{previous}
4%
{forecast}
{actual}
In the United States, the year-over-year change in Retail sales compares the aggregated sales of retail goods and services during a certain month to the same month a year ago.
12:30
USD
Retail Sales MoM
{previous}
0.7%
{forecast}
{actual}
Retail sales report in the US provides aggregated measure of sales of retail goods and services over a period of a month. There are thirteen major types of retailers: Motor vehicle & parts dealers (around 20 percent of total sales), Food & beverage stores (13%), General merchandise stores (12.5%), Food services & drinking places (11%), Gasoline stations (10%), Nonstore retailers (9.2%), Building material & garden dealers (6%), Health & personal care stores (6%), Clothing & clothing accessories stores (5%), Miscellaneous store retailers (2.3%), Furniture stores (2%), Electronics & appliance stores (2%) and Sporting goods, hobby, book & music stores (1.7%).
13:00
RUB
Balance of Trade
{previous}
RUB7.65B
{forecast}
{actual}
Russia has been running regular trade surpluses since 1998 primarily due to high exports of commodities like crude oil and natural gas. The biggest trade surpluses were recorded with: Netherlands, Turkey, Italy and Japan. The biggest trade deficits were recorded with: China, the United States and France.
