Economic events that move the markets: a complete guide
Updated on 2026-09-19
NFP, CPI, Fed, ECB, BoE and BoJ decisions, GDP, PMI: what they are, when they come out and how the dollar, gold and indices react.
Macroeconomic announcements are the most volatile moments of the week. Here you'll find what they are and how to behave; exact times and forecasts are in the economic calendar.
NFP (Non-Farm Payrolls): what it is, when it's released and how it moves the market
A guide to the monthly US jobs report: what it measures, release times, how to read it against forecasts and how the dollar, gold and indices react.
CPI (US inflation): what it is and how it moves the dollar, gold and indices
What the CPI is, when it's released, the difference between headline and core and how markets react to inflation surprises.
PCE (Personal Consumption Expenditures): the Fed's preferred inflation gauge
What the PCE index is, why the Fed looks at core PCE, when it's released and how it compares with the CPI.
Fed rate decision (FOMC): how to read it and how it moves markets
What the FOMC meeting is, statement and press conference times, what to look at beyond the rate and how the dollar, gold and indices react.
ECB rate decision: times, what to look at and impact on the euro
How the ECB meeting works, decision and press conference times, what to watch and how EUR/USD reacts.
Bank of England rate decision: what to look at and impact on the pound
How the Bank of England MPC meeting works, times, vote and minutes and how GBP/USD and the other pound pairs react.
Bank of Japan decision: why it moves the yen
How Bank of Japan meetings work, why the yen is sensitive to Japanese monetary policy and what to watch.
GDP: what it is and how the forex market reads it
What gross domestic product measures, advance estimates and revisions, and how it affects currencies.
PMI (Purchasing Managers' Index): the index above and below 50
What the PMI is, how to read the 50 threshold, the difference between manufacturing and services and how it moves currencies.
Retail sales: the thermometer of consumption
What retail sales measure, when they're released, the difference between headline and core and the impact on currencies.
US jobless claims: the weekly figure
What initial jobless claims are, when they're released, how to read the four-week average and why they matter for the dollar.
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Educational content, not financial advice. Trading involves risk.