Economic Calendar

Restricted News Events

Trading during economic news events can be dangerous due to the higher volatility they bring. As good risk management practice, please do not trade the assets below later than two minutes before the news event and earlier than two minutes after. For further information on trading restrictions, please read the Terms and Conditions, particularly section 10.

NFP

Event name: Nonfarm Payroll
Country: USA
Explanation: The Nonfarm Payroll (NFP) report, a key U.S. economic indicator, depicts the number of paid employees, excluding those in farms, federal government, private households, and nonprofits. This report significantly influences the foreign exchange (forex) market, leading to substantial rate fluctuations and drawing attention from a broad spectrum of market participants. The NFP shows the monthly variations in U.S. employment figures.
Occurrence: First Friday of each month
Forbidden Assets: All

Retail Sales

Event name: Retail Sales
Country: USA
Explanation: The U.S. Retail Sales report, compiled by the U.S. Census Bureau, collates sales data from a variety of retail businesses like department stores, gas stations, and online retailers (omitting the service sector, including restaurants and hotels). The information is gathered through the Monthly Retail Trade Survey (MRTS), involving approximately 13,000 retail businesses across several sectors nationwide. This survey focuses on sales, inventories, and other vital performance indicators, which the Census Bureau processes, analyses, and adjusts.
Occurrence: Around two weeks after the end of the reference month. Exact dates can be found here.
Forbidden Assets: All

CPI

Event name: CPI
Country: USA
Explanation: The Consumer Price Index (CPI) is a tool used by economists to monitor changes in the prices of a typical consumer “basket” of goods and services. The CPI is a fundamental gauge of inflation, reflecting the cost-of-living changes consumers experience. It’s pivotal in predicting retail price increases, salary adjustments, and cost-of-living increases for Social Security. Rising CPI signals rising inflation, prompting central banks, like the Federal Reserve, to raise interest rates, thereby strengthening the country’s currency.
Occurrence: Within two weeks after the end of the month. Exact dates can be found here.
Forbidden Assets: All

PPI

Event name: PPI
Country: USA
Explanation: The Producer Price Index (PPI) is an economic indicator that tracks changes in selling or wholesale prices for domestic producers’ output. Although less prevalent than the Consumer Price Index (CPI), it’s still a valuable indicator of inflation, offering insights into the economic health of various sectors. The PPI reflects shifts in manufacturers’ input costs, like raw materials, and encapsulates a wide array of indices affecting domestic producers. The PPI’s inclusion of goods in production often allows the prediction of future CPI figures.
Occurrence: Within two weeks after the end of the month. Exact dates can be found here.
Forbidden Assets: All

MCSI

Event name: Michigan Consumer Sentiment
Country: USA
Explanation: The University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment (MCSI) is an index that gauges consumer confidence in economic activities. As consumer optimism significantly influences spending, which constitutes a large fraction of a country’s economic activity, the MCSI can predict cyclical changes in the economy. Its primary objectives include evaluating near-term consumer attitudes towards business conditions, personal finances, and spending; forecasting shifts in the national economy; integrating empirical consumer expectation measures into spending and saving models; assessing consumers’ future spending inclinations; and determining the level of consumer optimism or pessimism.
Occurrence: 10:00 am ET on the second Friday and 10:00 am ET on the fourth Friday of each month.
Forbidden Assets: All

GDP

Event name: GDP q/q
Country: USA
Explanation: Gross Domestic Product (GDP) refers to the total value of goods and services produced within a country during a specified timeframe and is often used as an overall indicator of a nation’s economic health and size. This key economic statistic provides insight into whether the economy is growing by increasing output or contracting. Additionally, it enables comparisons of economic performance among different countries. Consequently, GDP shifts can significantly affect financial markets.
Occurrence: Quarterly, next release can be found here.
Forbidden Assets: All

Core PCE

Event name: Core PCE Price Index m/m
Country: USA
Explanation: The Core Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) Price Index is an economic metric that gauges inflation by tracking price fluctuations in goods and services that U.S. consumers buy, excluding food and energy. The Federal Reserve scrutinizes this index as it aids in assessing the economy’s status and shaping monetary policy.
Occurrence: On the last business day of each month
Forbidden Assets: All

NFE

Event name: Non-Farm Employment Change
Country: USA
Explanation: The ADP National Employment Report offers an independent assessment of changes in U.S. nonfarm, private employment, sourced from the actual, anonymized payroll data of companies served by ADP. This free monthly report provides current data on total private employment, weekly jobs data, and wage insights from the previous month, thereby offering valuable insights into the U.S. labor market for businesses and governments.
Please note that all Non-Farm Employment Change reports are restricted.
Occurrence: First Wednesday of every month, at 8.15 am ET and usually on the first Friday after the month’s end 
Forbidden Assets: All

ISM Manufacturing

Event name: ISM Manufacturing PMI
Country: USA
Explanation: The Institute of Supply Management (ISM) Manufacturing Survey is a monthly report that assesses the health of U.S. manufacturing through a survey of purchasing managers. ISM selects companies reflecting the industry and geographic distribution of U.S. manufacturers for these surveys. Respondents indicate whether conditions are “better, worse, or the same” or show an “increase, decrease, or no change”. If the index exceeds 50, the majority reported improvements or increases, whereas an index below 50 implies most respondents experienced worsening conditions or decreases.
Occurrence: First business day of each month at 10:00 am ET
Forbidden Assets: All

ISM Services

Event name: ISM Services PMI
Country: USA
Explanation: The Services Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI), also known as the ISM Services report, derives from a nationwide survey of purchasing managers working in non-manufacturing industries in the U.S. Similar to the ISM Manufacturing Survey, this report assesses various business conditions within the services sector, including employment, production, new orders, prices, and inventories. The collected data help determine whether the industry expanded or contracted over the month.
Occurrence: Third business day of each month at 10:00 am ET
Forbidden Assets: All

Crude Oil Inventories

Event name: Crude Oil Inventories (EIA)
Country: USA
Explanation: Crude oil inventories represent the volume of crude oil stored in a country’s commercial facilities, typically quantified in barrels. This key supply and demand indicator for oil can forecast future prices and inform energy policy decisions. The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) publishes a weekly Crude Oil Inventories report, documenting changes in U.S. crude oil reserves. The report includes data from the preceding week on crude oil production, imports, and refinery utilization rates.
Occurrence: Every Wednesday at 10:30 am ET. In case of a U.S. federal holiday on Monday, on Thursday at 11:00 am ET
Forbidden Assets: USOil, UKOil

Natural Gas Inventories

Event name: Natural Gas Inventories (EIA)
Country: USA
Explanation: The Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) Natural Gas Storage report quantifies the weekly change in the volume of natural gas stored underground, measured in cubic feet. An inventory increase exceeding expectations signifies weaker demand, leading to bearish trends for natural gas prices. Similarly, if the inventory increase falls short of expectations, it indicates higher demand, fostering bullish trends for natural gas prices.
Occurrence: Every Thursday at 10:30 am EST
Forbidden Assets: NGAS

Fed Interest Rate Decision

Event name: Fed Interest Rate Decision
Country: USA
Explanation: Regular meetings of the US central bank, the Federal Reserve, decide economic policies, notably the interest rate charged on loans to commercial banks. An interest rate increase often strengthens the U.S. dollar as it signals rising inflation, while a rate decrease, suggesting economic challenges, tends to weaken the dollar. If rates stay the same, the focus shifts to the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) statement’s tone and its implications for future inflation trends, categorized as either hawkish (signaling potential rate increases) or dovish (indicating possible rate decreases).
Occurrence: 8 times a year, the news is released at 2pm EST on the second day of the meeting. The dates can be found here.
Forbidden Assets: All

ECB Interest Rate Decision

Event name: ECB Interest Rate Decision
Country: EU
Explanation: The European Central Bank (ECB) interest rate decision refers to the rates at which the ECB offers short-term credit to commercial banks in the European Union. During significant economic announcements like this volatility increases, causing movements of as much as 100 points in the EUR/USD and 300 points in the DAX 40. The spreads, or differences between the buying and selling price, typically widen for forex and indexes during the ECB interest rate announcement. Furthermore, speculation intensifies, leading to an increase in trading volume and volatility in the days preceding the ECB’s rate decision.
Occurrence: The meeting dates are available here, look for “monetary policy meeting”, the news is released at 14:15 CET on those days.
Forbidden Assets: All EUR FX pairs

BOE Interest Rate Decision

Event name: BOE Interest Rate Decision
Country: UK
Explanation: The Bank of England (BoE) sets the UK’s monetary policy, including determining benchmark interest rates, via its Monetary Policy Committee (MPC). Changes to, or indications of future alterations in, the BoE’s rate targets can significantly influence the performance of all GBP currency pairs.
Occurrence: 8 Thursdays throughout the year, the news is released at 12.00 GMT. You can find the meeting dates here.
Forbidden Assets: All GBP FX pairs