A calendar of the scheduled events that move currencies, indices and commodities.
The calendar tracks central bank rate decisions, inflation and employment reports, GDP figures, and the speeches and minutes that influence rate expectations. Each entry shows the release time, the expected figure, the previous reading, and the markets most likely to react.
The calendar functions as a risk management tool as well as a schedule. Awareness that a major rate decision is due affects how a position should be sized, whether it should be held through the release, and where liquidity is likely to thin and spreads to widen. A significant proportion of avoidable losses result from holding a position through a high-impact release the trader was unaware of.
The forecast figure is less significant than the difference between the forecast and the actual result. Markets price in the expectation in advance, and the resulting move comes from the surprise.
Trading around news events carries elevated risk, as volatility and spreads can widen sharply. The calendar supports planning around event risk rather than trading on the headline itself.
For the analysis behind these releases, see our economy coverage; and trade only with a broker verified in our broker reviews or regulation guides.
Risk warning: Trading around high-impact data events carries elevated volatility risk. Only trade with a regulated broker.