Economic Calendar from InstaForex |
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Time | Country | Indices | Actual |
15:00 | ISM Services PMI | ||
Period: Apr Previous Reading: 51.4 Forecast: Actual Reading: ISM index for the non-manufacturing sector, a value below 50 indicates a decrease in activity compared to the previous month, above - about growth. hide |
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19:30 | FOMC Press Conference | ||
Period: Previous Reading: Forecast: Actual Reading: The press conference is about an hour long and has 2 parts - first a prepared statement is read, then the conference is open to press questions. The questions often lead to unscripted answers that create heavy market volatility. The FOMC conference is among the primary methods the Fed uses to communicate with investors regarding monetary policy. It covers in detail the factors that affected the most recent interest rate and other policy decisions, along with commentary about economic conditions such as the future growth outlook and inflation. Most importantly, it provides clues regarding future monetary policy. hide |
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19:00 | FOMC Statement | ||
Period: Previous Reading: Forecast: Actual Reading: The FOMC usually changes the statement slightly at each release. It's these changes that traders focus on. It's the primary tool the FOMC uses to communicate with investors about monetary policy. It contains the outcome of their vote on interest rates and other policy measures, along with commentary about the economic conditions that influenced their votes. Most importantly, it discusses the economic outlook and offers clues on the outcome of future votes. hide |
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19:00 | FOMC Rate Decision | ||
Period: May Previous Reading: 5.50% Forecast: 5.50% Actual Reading: The main interest rates settled by the FOMC are responsible for driving inflation in accordance with the monetary policy adopted by the FED. One of the rates in mind is the overnight borrowing rate and the Federal Reserve’s Cash Rate Target (FRCRT). The latter affects interest rates for consumer loans, mortgages, bonds or others. The actual changes to the interest rates have a direct impact on the US dollar. However, the market expectation, in respect to future monetary policy, plays a part that is even more significant for the market. In such circumstances, any indirect information that provides hints to future FED monetary policy, and thus influences the market expectations in respect to the interest rates, may have a significant impact on the US currency. Typically, an increase of the interest rates, or expectations of such an increase, provide fundamental support to the US dollar. The lower interest rates may have a negative impact on the US currency. hide |
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15:00 | ISM Manufacturing | ||
Period: Apr Previous Reading: 50.3 Forecast: 50.1 Actual Reading: A monthly index released by the Institute of Supply Management which tracks the amount of manufacturing activity that occurred in the previous month.ISM Manufacuring assesses the state of US industry by surveying executives on expectations for future production, new orders, inventories, employment and deliveries. This data is considered a very important and trusted economic measure. If the index has a value below 50, due to a decrease in activity, it tends to indicate an economic recession, especially if the trend continues over several months. A value substantially above 50 likely indicates a time of economic growth. The values for the index can be between 0 and 100. Values over 50 generally indicate an expansion, while values below 50 indicate contraction. hide |
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23:45 | Unemployment Rate | ||
Period: 1 quarter Previous Reading: 4.0% Forecast: 4.3% Actual Reading: The percentage of individuals in the labor force who are without a job but actively seeking one. A higher Unemployment Rate is generally a drain on the economy. Not only does it mean that resources are not being fully utilized, but it also results in lower consumer spending as there are fewer workers receiving paychecks. Note: The unemployment rate generally moves slowly, so changes of only a few tenths of a percent are still considered significant. Also note that the unemployment rate does not account for discouraged workers. Therefore, in an economically depressed environment, such as that which occurred in Cold War era East Germany, the Unemployment Rate may not accurately reflect the extent of problems. hide |
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23:45 | Employment Change | ||
Period: 1 quarter Previous Reading: 0.4%; 2.4% Forecast: 0.3% Actual Reading: Employment change is a crucial indicator to measure the health of the overal economy. It's realeased shortly after the month ends and is a leading indcator of consumer spending which makes up the majority of overall economic activity. hide |
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22:00 | RBNZ Financial Stability Report | ||
Period: Previous Reading: Forecast: Actual Reading: The Reserve Bank published its first Financial Stability Report (FSR) in October 2004. The Financial Stability Report is published six-monthly. In the Financial Stability Report we assess and report on the soundness and efficiency of the New Zealand financial system. hide |
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15:00 | Consumer Confidence | ||
Period: Apr Previous Reading: 104.7 Forecast: 104.0 Actual Reading: Assessment of consumer sentiment regarding business conditions, employment and personal income. Based on a representative sample of thousands of mail-in surveys, the Conference Board index has the largest pooling sample of any US measure of consumer confidence. Consumer Confidence levels are generally linked with consumer spending. For instance, when consumer confidence is on the rise consumer spending tends to increase. Low or falling consumer confidence on the other hand is typically associated with decreased spending and consumer demand. Some analysts criticize the Consumer Confidence figure for its volatile tendencies and weak connection to household expenditure, turning instead to the University of Michigan Consumer Confidence numbers. The volatility of the Consumer Confidence figure is attributed to two factors: its pooling size and the survey time frame focus. The Conference Board surveys an entirely new group of people each month, resulting in more erratic month to month figures. Additionally, the survey queries respondents on expectations for the following six months, a relatively short term evaluation. Conversely, the University of Michigan survey will re-poll many individuals and focuses on expectations for the next one to five years. The long term focus has a stabilizing effect on consumer confidence. Survey results are printed in the headlines where 100 reflects a recent base year. hide |
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13:30 | Gross Domestic Product | ||
Period: Feb Previous Reading: 0.6%; 0.9% Forecast: 0.3% Actual Reading: A comprehensive measure of Canada's overall production and consumption of goods and services. GDP is a significant report in FX Market, serving as one of the primary indicators of a country's overall economic health. Robust GDP growth signals a heightened level of economic activity and often a higher demand for the domestic currency. At the same time, economic expansion raises concerns about inflationary pressures which may prompt monetary authorities to increase interest rates. Thus positive GDP readings are generally bullish for the Canadian Dollar, while negative readings are generally bearish. Most production reports that lead to Canadian GDP are released before the official GDP number. Therefore, actual GDP figures usually confirm expectations. However, an unexpected release can move markets due to the significance of the figure. Technically, Gross Domestic Product is calculated in the following way: GDP = C + I + G + (EX - IM) where The headline figures for GDP are the percentage growth rate from the previous quarter and the annualized percentage change in GDP. Prices used are benchmarked to 1997 prices. hide |