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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
01:30
AUD
Building Permits YoY Final
{previous}
{forecast}
{actual}
01:30
AUD
Wage Price Index YoY
{previous}
4.2%
{forecast}
{actual}
In Australia, wage growth measures the annual change in hourly rates of pay excluding bonuses for both public and private sector.
01:30
AUD
Wage Price Index QoQ
{previous}
0.9%
{forecast}
{actual}
In Australia, wage growth measures the annual change in hourly rates of pay excluding bonuses for both public and private sector.
01:30
CNY
PBoC 1-Year MLF Announcement
{previous}
2.5%
{forecast}
{actual}
In China, the One-Year Medium-Term Lending Facility Rate is the main rate at which the central bank lends to big commercial banks. The MLF rate acts as a guide for the PBOC’s new lending benchmark, the Loan Prime Rate (LPR).
06:00
JPY
Machine Tool Orders YoY
{previous}
-8.5%
{forecast}
{actual}
Machine Tool Orders in Japan measure the change in the total value of new orders placed with machine tool manufacturers.
06:45
EUR
Inflation Rate YoY Final
{previous}
2.3%
{forecast}
2.2%
{actual}
In France, the most important category in the consumer price index is services (48 percent of total weight), in particular rents, water and garbage collection (8 percent), health services (7 percent), transport (2 percent), and communication (2 percent). The index also includes: manufactured products (24 percent) such as medical products (4 percent) and clothing and footwear (3 percent); food (16 percent); energy (9 percent) such as petroleum products (4 percent); and tobacco (2 percent).
06:45
EUR
Harmonised Inflation Rate MoM Final
{previous}
0.2%
{forecast}
0.6%
{actual}
06:45
EUR
Inflation Rate MoM Final
{previous}
0.2%
{forecast}
0.5%
{actual}
In France, the most important category in the consumer price index is services (48 percent of total weight), in particular actual rentals and services for dwellings (7 percent), health services (6 percent), transport (3 percent), and communication (2 percent). The index also includes: manufactured products (26 percent) such as medical products (4 percent) and clothing and footwear (4 percent); food (16 percent); energy (8 percent) such as petroleum products (4 percent); and tobacco (2 percent).
06:45
EUR
Harmonised Inflation Rate YoY Final
{previous}
2.4%
{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.
08:00
TRY
Budget Balance
{previous}
TRY-209B
{forecast}
{actual}
The government budget balance is the difference between government revenues and expenses. The budget is balanced when outlays equal to receipts, the country reports budget surplus when revenues are higher than expenses and deficit when expenses exceed the revenues.
09:00
GBP
10-Year Green Gilt Auction
{previous}
{forecast}
{actual}
09:00
EUR
Industrial Production MoM
{previous}
0.8%
{forecast}
{actual}
In Euro Area, industrial production measures the output of businesses integrated in industrial sector of the economy such as manufacturing, mining, and utilities.
09:00
EUR
GDP Growth Rate YoY 2nd Est
{previous}
0.1%
{forecast}
0.4%
{actual}
The Euro Area is the second largest economy in the world. Of the 19 member states it includes, the biggest are: Germany (29 percent of total GDP), France (20 percent), Italy (15 percent) and Spain (10 percent). On the expenditure side, household consumption is the main component of GDP and accounts for 54 percent of its total use, followed by gross fixed capital formation (21 percent) and government expenditure (20 percent). Exports of goods and services account for 47 percent of GDP while imports account for 43 percent, adding 4 percent of total GDP.
09:00
EUR
Industrial Production YoY
{previous}
-6.4%
{forecast}
{actual}
In Euro Area, industrial production measures the output of businesses integrated in industrial sector of the economy such as manufacturing, mining, and utilities.
09:00
EUR
Employment Change YoY Prel
{previous}
1.2%
{forecast}
{actual}
In Euro Area, employment change refers to the quarterly change in the number of persons who work for pay or profit, or perform unpaid family work. Estimates include both full-time and part-time employment.
09:00
EUR
Employment Change QoQ Prel
{previous}
0.3%
{forecast}
{actual}
In Euro Area, employment change refers to the quarterly change in the number of persons who work for pay or profit, or perform unpaid family work. Estimates include both full-time and part-time employment.
09:00
EUR
GDP Growth Rate QoQ 2nd Est
{previous}
-0.1%
{forecast}
0.3%
{actual}
The Euro Area is an economic and monetary union of 19 European countries that adopted the euro as their currency. It is the second largest economy in the world and if it was a country it would be the third most populous with 341 million inhabitants. Germany, France, Italy and Spain are the most important economies accounting respectively for 29 percent, 20 percent, 15 percent and 10 percent of the bloc’s GDP.
09:30
EUR
30-Year Bund Auction
{previous}
2.62%
{forecast}
{actual}
11:00
USD
MBA Mortgage Applications
{previous}
{forecast}
{actual}
In the US, 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, whether for a purchase or to refinance. The survey covers over 75% of all US retail residential mortgage applications.
11:00
ZAR
Retail Sales YoY
{previous}
-0.8%
{forecast}
{actual}
In South Africa, 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.
