An Economic Calendar is a schedule of the dates and times when countries will announce economic data. It is used to plan which periods the market may become highly volatile. The front page of our website has a calendar of the week's key news for you to view.
What the columns in the calendar mean
| Column | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Actual | The actual figure that has just been announced |
| Forecast / Consensus | The average figure analysts expected |
| Previous | The previous figure (may be revised) |
| Impact | Level of importance: high, medium, low |
Price moves according to the difference between Actual and Forecast, not according to whether the figure is good or bad in itself.
The US news with the strongest impact
- FOMC meeting Read FOMC and Dot Plot
- Nonfarm Payrolls Read Employment figures
- CPI Read CPI and PCE inflation
- PCE The inflation figure the Fed uses
- GDP Quarterly economic growth
- ISM PMI Purchasing managers' index. A value above 50 = expansion, below 50 = contraction
- Retail Sales Retail sales figures, reflecting consumer spending
Preparing before major news
- Know the release time in Thai time Most US news is released at 19:30 or 20:30 depending on the season
- Know what the market expects Check the Forecast column and read previews and analysis in advance
- Reduce position size or do not open a position before the news is released, if you cannot handle the volatility
- Beware of wide spreads and price jumps (Slippage) Stop Loss orders may be executed at a worse price than the one you set
- Do not make decisions from a single figure Look at the whole report and the central bank's wording as well
Some calendars use different time zones. Check that it is set to Thai time (GMT+7).
For education only, not investment advice. Figures change over time, so check official sources before making decisions.