Economic Calendar
Track upcoming economic events, central bank announcements, and market-moving data releases to plan and manage your trading more effectively.
Upcoming Economic Events
Filter by impact level and currency. High-impact events (red) are the most market-moving — plan your trades accordingly.
Understanding the Calendar Columns
Each row in the economic calendar represents a scheduled data release or event. Understanding what each column means helps you interpret the information and assess its relevance to your trades.
Understanding Event Impact
Each event is rated by its expected market impact. Use these ratings to prioritise which events to monitor and plan for.
Events very likely to cause significant and rapid price movements. Requires active risk management.
- FOMC Rate Decision
- Non-Farm Payrolls (US)
- ECB Rate Decision
- US CPI / Core CPI
- UK Budget / BoE Decision
Events that may cause moderate market movement, particularly for directly affected currency pairs.
- Retail Sales
- PMI (Manufacturing/Services)
- Trade Balance
- Consumer Confidence
- JOLTS Job Openings
Minor data releases unlikely to cause significant moves on their own, but worth noting in context.
- Housing Starts
- Building Permits
- Wholesale Inventories
- Regional Manufacturing
- Minor Speeches
Major Economic Event Types
Understanding the purpose and market impact of key economic releases is essential for trading around news events effectively. Here are the most closely watched events.
Non-Farm Payrolls (NFP)
The most market-moving US labour report. Measures net job creation outside the farming sector. A significant beat vs forecast typically strengthens USD; a miss weakens it.
Stand aside or reduce exposure 30 min before release. Major slippage and gap risk.
Consumer Price Index (CPI)
Primary inflation measure used by central banks to guide interest rate decisions. A hotter-than-expected CPI typically supports the base currency; a weak print may trigger selling.
Watch the month-on-month figure — it captures the current trend better than year-on-year.
Interest Rate Decision
The most significant scheduled event for each currency. The Fed, ECB, BoE, and BoJ set overnight lending rates. Rate changes or guidance create large, sustained directional moves.
The press conference and statement wording often moves markets more than the rate decision itself.
Gross Domestic Product (GDP)
Measures total economic output. Stronger growth supports the currency; contraction weighs on it. GDP preliminary readings move markets most — revisions tend to have smaller impact.
GDP data is backward-looking. Forward guidance and PMI data often signal GDP trends in advance.
Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI)
Forward-looking survey of business conditions. A reading above 50 signals expansion; below 50 signals contraction. Often used as a leading indicator for GDP and employment trends.
Services PMI matters more than manufacturing PMI in most developed economies.
Retail Sales
Measures consumer spending, which drives ~70% of US GDP. A strong print signals healthy consumer demand and supports the base currency. Weak prints may signal economic slowdown.
Core retail sales (excluding autos) is watched more closely than the headline figure.
Central Bank Speeches
Speeches from Federal Reserve governors, ECB officials, and other central bank members can shift market expectations. Hawkish comments support the currency; dovish comments weaken it.
Speeches from Fed Chair and ECB President carry the most weight.
Unemployment Rate
A key labour market indicator alongside NFP. Rising unemployment signals economic weakness; falling unemployment supports rate hike expectations.
The participation rate provides important context — falling unemployment with falling participation can be misleading.
During high-impact economic events, market prices can move rapidly and significantly within seconds of a data release. Spreads may widen substantially, slippage may occur, and stop-loss orders may be executed at prices different from those requested. Always ensure adequate risk management is in place before trading around major news releases. Economic calendar data is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice.
Economic Calendar FAQs
Common questions about using the economic calendar for trading.