Trading Tools
Economic Calendar
Learn which economic events move currency markets and why. This educational calendar uses representative sample data to teach you how to read and interpret a real economic calendar before you encounter one in live trading.
Understanding the Economic Calendar
An economic calendar lists scheduled releases of macroeconomic data and central bank decisions. Professional traders plan their week around these events because they cause the largest price movements in forex markets. Each event shows a previous value (last release), forecast (analyst consensus), and eventually an actual value. The difference between actual and forecast drives immediate price action.
Educational Example Data, The events, times, and values below are representative samples designed for learning. They do not reflect live market data. Always use a real-time economic calendar from your broker or a financial data provider for actual trading.
Impact Levels
Likely to cause significant price movement (50+ pips). Spreads may widen considerably. Avoid opening new positions just before these events unless you have a specific news-trading strategy.
May cause moderate price movement (15-50 pips). Can reinforce or shift existing trends. Consider tightening stop losses or reducing position sizes around these releases.
Usually causes minimal direct price movement (under 15 pips). However, low-impact events can occasionally surprise markets when they deviate significantly from expectations.
Filters
Narrow down events by impact, currency, or day
Impact Level
Currency
Day of Week
Monday
4 events
Tuesday
4 events
Wednesday
4 events
Thursday
6 events
Friday
5 events
How to Trade Around News Events
Understanding market behavior before, during, and after economic releases
Before the Release
30 minutes to 1 hour prior
- Spreads begin to widen as liquidity providers pull their orders, increasing trading costs
- Market often enters a low-volatility consolidation as traders wait for the data
- Liquidity thins out, meaning even small orders can cause price spikes
- Many professional traders close or reduce positions to manage event risk
During the Release
First 1-5 minutes
- Extreme volatility: price can move 50-100+ pips in seconds on high-impact events
- Slippage is common: your order may fill at a significantly different price than expected
- Whipsaw patterns: price often spikes one direction, reverses, then finds its true direction
- Stop losses may be triggered at unfavorable prices due to gaps and slippage
After the Release
15 minutes to several hours
- A new trend may establish as the market digests the full implications of the data
- Retracement patterns are common: the initial spike often partially reverses before continuing
- Spreads gradually return to normal as liquidity providers re-enter the market
- Some traders wait 15-30 minutes after the release to enter, avoiding the initial chaos
News Trading Carries Elevated Risk
Trading around economic releases is one of the riskiest activities in forex. Spreads can widen to 10-20x their normal size, slippage can result in fills far from your intended price, and stop losses may not protect you as expected. Many experienced traders choose to stay flat (no open positions) during high-impact releases rather than try to profit from them. If you do trade news events, use significantly reduced position sizes and accept that outcomes are highly unpredictable.
For educational purposes only. Not financial advice. The economic events, dates, times, and values shown are representative examples for learning and do not reflect real-time market data. Always consult a live economic calendar from your broker or a reputable financial data provider before making trading decisions. Trading forex involves significant risk of loss.