| Time |
Currency |
Economic impact |
Event |
Prev. |
Forecast |
Fact |
| 00:30 |
NZD |
low |
|
52.0 |
|
|
Measures: Level of a diffusion index based on surveyed manufacturers;
Usual Effect: Actual > Forecast = Good for currency;
Frequency: Released monthly, about 13 days after the month ends;
Next Release: Apr 12, 2010
FF Notes: This report is often released earlier than scheduled. Above 50.0 indicates expansion, below indicates contraction;
Derived Via: Survey of manufacturers which asks respondents to rate the relative level of business conditions including employment, production, new orders, prices, supplier deliveries, and inventories;
Also Called: Performance of Manufacturing Index;
|
| 00:45 |
NZD |
low |
|
2.1% |
|
|
Measures: Change in the price of food and food services purchased by households;
Usual Effect: Actual > Forecast = Good for currency;
Frequency: Released monthly, about 14 days after the month ends;
Next Release: Apr 20, 2010
Why Traders Care: Although food is among the most volatile consumer price components, this indicator garners some attention because New Zealand's major inflation data is released on a quarterly basis;
Acro Expand: Food Price Index (FPI);
|
| 02:50 |
JPY |
medium |
|
1.1% |
1.0% |
|
Measures: Change in the inflation-adjusted value of all goods and services produced by the economy;
Usual Effect: Actual > Forecast = Good for currency;
Frequency: Released quarterly, about 70 days after the quarter ends;
Next Release: Jun 10, 2010
FF Notes: The 'Previous' listed is the 'Actual' from the Preliminary release and therefore the 'History' data will appear unconnected. There are 2 versions of GDP released about a month apart - Preliminary and Final. The Preliminary release is the earliest and thus tends to have the most impact;
Why Traders Care: It's the broadest measure of economic activity and the primary gauge of the economy's health;
Acro Expand: Gross Domestic Product (GDP);
|
| 02:50 |
JPY |
low |
|
-3.0% |
-2.9% |
|
Measures: Change in the price of all goods and services included in GDP;
Usual Effect: Actual > Forecast = Good for currency;
Frequency: Released quarterly, about 70 days after the quarter ends;
Next Release: Jun 10, 2010
FF Notes: The 'Previous' listed is the 'Actual' from the Preliminary release and therefore the 'History' data will appear unconnected.
Also Called: GDP Deflator;
Acro Expand: Gross Domestic Product (GDP);
|
| 03:00 |
AUD |
medium |
|
3.2% |
|
|
Measures: Percentage that consumers expect the price of goods and services to change during the next 12 months;
Frequency: Released monthly, about 12 days after the month ends;
Next Release: Apr 13, 2010
Why Traders Care: Expectations of future inflation can manifest into real inflation, primarily because workers tend to push for higher wages when they believe prices will rise;
Also Called: Consumer Inflation Expectations;
Acro Expand: Melbourne Institute (MI);
|
| 03:30 |
AUD |
high |
|
52.7K |
15.2K |
|
Measures: Change in the number of employed people during the previous month;
Usual Effect: Actual > Forecast = Good for currency;
Frequency: Released monthly, about 10 days after the month ends;
Next Release: Apr 8, 2010
FF Notes: This is vital economic data released shortly after the month ends. The combination of importance and earliness makes for hefty market impacts;
Why Traders Care: Job creation is an important leading indicator of consumer spending, which accounts for a majority of overall economic activity;
|
| 03:30 |
AUD |
high |
|
5.3% |
5.3% |
|
Measures: Percentage of total work force that is unemployed and actively seeking employment during the previous month;
Frequency: Released monthly, about 10 days after the month ends;
Next Release: Apr 8, 2010
Also Called: Jobless Rate;
|
| 03:30 |
AUD |
low |
|
|
|
|
FF Alert  : Source changed release frequency from monthly to quarterly as of this release;
Usual Effect: More hawkish than expected = Good for currency;
Frequency: Released Quarterly;
Next Release: Jun 10, 2010
FF Notes: Source changed release frequency from monthly to quarterly as of Jan 2010. Tends to have a mild impact since much of the information is released previously;
Why Traders Care: It contains relevant articles, speeches, statistical tables, and provides detailed analysis of current and future economic
3e8
conditions from the bank's viewpoint;
Acro Expand: Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA);
|
| 05:00 |
CNY |
high |
|
18.5% |
19.5% |
|
Measures: Change in the total inflation-adjusted value of output produced by manufacturers, mines, and utilities;
Usual Effect: Actual > Forecast = Good for currency;
Frequency: Released monthly, excluding February, about 11 days after the month ends;
Next Release: Apr 12, 2010
FF Notes: Chinese data can have a broad impact on the currency markets due to China's influence on the global economy and investor sentiment;
Why Traders Care: It's a leading indicator of economic health - production is the dominant driver of the economy and reacts quickly to ups and downs in the business cycle;
Also Called: Industrial Output;
|
| 05:00 |
CNY |
medium |
|
1.
1388
|
2.5% |
|
Measures: Change in the price of goods and services purchased by consumers;
Usual Effect: Actual > Forecast = Good for currency;
Frequency: Released monthly, usually about 11 days after the month ends;
Next Release: Apr 12, 2010
Why Traders Care: Consumer prices account for a majority of overall inflation. Inflation is important to currency valuation because rising prices lead the central bank to respond by raising interest rates;
Derived Via: The average price of various goods and services are sampled and then compared to the sampling a done year earlier;
Acro Expand: Consumer Price Index (CPI);
|
| 05:00 |
CNY |
medium |
|
30.5% |
26.5% |
|
Measures: Change in the total spending on urban capital investments such as factories, roads, power grids, and property;
Usual Effect: Actual > Forecast = Good for currency;
Frequency: Released monthly, excluding February, about 11 days after the month ends;
Next Release: Apr 12, 2010
FF Notes: Data represents the year-to-date investment compared to the same period a year earlier;
Why Traders Care: It's a leading indicator of economic health - changes in private and public investment levels can be an early signal of future economic activity such as hiring, spending, and earnings;
|
| 05:00 |
CNY |
medium |
|
|
|
|
Speaker: NBS Spokesperson;
Frequency: Scheduled monthly, excluding February;
Next Release: Apr 12, 2010
FF Notes: The press conference has 2 parts - first a prepared statement is read which announces the key economic numbers, then the conference is briefly open
3e8
to press questions. The questions sometimes lead to unscripted answers that can have a significant market impact. Source changed frequency from quarterly to monthly as of Aug 2009;
Acro Expand: National Bureau of Statistics (NBS);
|
| 05:00 |
CNY |
medium |
|
4.3% |
5.2% |
|
Measures: Change in the price of goods purchased and sold by producers;
Usual Effect: Actual > Forecast = Good for currency;
Frequency: Released monthly, usually about 11 days after the month ends;
Next Release: Apr 12, 2010
Why Traders Care: It's a leading indicator of consumer inflation - when producers pay and charge more for goods the higher costs are usually passed on to the consumer;
Acro Expand: Producer Price Index (PPI);
|
| 05:00 |
CNY |
low |
|
17.5% |
18.3% |
|
Measures: Change in the total value of sales at the retail level;
Usual Effect: Actual > Forecast = Good for currency;
Frequency: Released monthly, excluding February, about 11 days after the month ends;
Next Release: Apr 12, 2010
FF Notes: Tends to have a muted impact because the Chinese economy is not heavily reliant on consumer spending;
|
| 05:00 |
CNY |
medium |
|
|
|
|
| Adds data from the primary sector (including fishing, farming, forestry, mining, and manufacturing) to the Tertiary Industry Index. |
| 05:00 |
CNY |
medium |
Fixed Asset Investment ytd/y |
30.5% |
26.9% |
|
Measures the difference in value between total imports and total exports of goods, services, income, and current transfers.
It's essentially a statement of the country's trade with other nations over a period of time.
|
| 10:45 |
EUR |
low |
|
-0.4% |
-0.4% |
|
Measures: Change in the number of employed people, excluding the farming industry and government;
Frequency: Released quarterly, about 75 days after the quarter ends;
Next Release: Jun 14, 2010
Also Called: Non-Farm Employment, Revised Employment;
|
| 10:45 |
EUR |
low |
|
-138.0B |
|
|
Measures: Difference in value between the central government's income and spending for the year-to-date;
Usual Effect: Actual > Forecast = Good for currency;
Frequency: Released monthly, about 40 days after the month ends;
Next Release: Apr 8, 2010
FF Notes: A positive number indicates a budget surplus, a negative number indicates a deficit. Due to the year-to-date format, the data released in Feb covers the entire preceding year's budget, while the Mar releases only covers the first month of the current year;
Also Called: General Budget Outcome;
|
| 12:00 |
EUR |
medium |
|
|
|
|
Usual Effect: More hawkish than expected = Good for currency;
Frequency: Released monthly, 7 days after the Minimum Bid Rate release;
Next Release: Apr 15, 2010
Why Traders Care: It reveals the statistical data that the ECB Governing Board evaluated when making the latest interest rate decision, and provides detailed analysis of current and future economic conditions from the bank's viewpoint;
Acro Expand: European Central Bank (ECB);
|
| 12:30 |
GBP |
medium |
|
2.4% |
|
|
Measures: Percentage that consumers expect the price of goods and services to change during the next 12 months;
Usual Effect: Actual > Forecast = Good for currency;
Frequency: Released quarterly, about 20 days after the survey is conducted;
Next Release: Jun 10, 2010
Why Traders Care: Expectations of future inflation can manifest into real inflation, primarily because workers tend to push for higher wages when they believe prices will rise;
Derived Via: Survey of about 2,000 consumers, conducted by GfK, which asks respondents where they expect prices to be 12 months in the future;
Also Called: BOE/GfK Inflation Attitudes Survey, Median Inflation Expectations;
Acro Expand: Bank of England (BOE);
|
| 16:00 |
CHF |
high |
|
0.25% |
0.25% |
|
Measures: London interest rate for 3-month Swiss franc deposits;
Usual Effect: Actual > Forecast = Good for currency;
Frequency: Scheduled quarterly;
Next Release: Jun 17, 2010
FF Notes: The SNB usually announces a 1% target range for Libor, and the midpoint is considered the target rate unless specifically stated otherwise. The rate decision is often priced in the market so it tends to be overshadowed by the Monetary Policy Assessment which is focused on the future.
Why Traders Care: Short term interest rates are the paramount factor in currency valuation - traders look at most other indicators merely to predict how rates will change in t
3e8
he future;
Derived Via: SNB Governing Board members come to a consensus on where to set the target range for the rate;
Also Called: Interest Rates, Libor, 3-month Rate;
|
| 16:00 |
CHF |
high |
|
|
|
|
Usual Effect: More hawkish than expected = Good for currency;
Frequency: Scheduled quarterly;
Next Release: Jun 17, 2010
Why Traders Care: It's the primary tool the SNB Governing Board uses to communicate with investors about monetary policy. It contains the outcome of their decision on interest rates and commentary about the economic conditions that influenced their decision. Most importantly, it projects the economic outlook and offers clues on the outcome of future rate decisions;
Also Called: Interest Rate Statement, SNB Statement;
Acro Expand: Swiss National Bank (SNB);
|
| 16:30 |
CAD |
high |
|
-0.2B |
0.3B |
|
Measures: Difference in value between imported and exported goods during the reported month;
Usual Effect: Actual > Forecast = Good for currency;
Frequency: Released monthly, about 40 days after the month ends;
Next Release: Apr 13, 2010
FF Notes: A positive number indicates that more goods were exported than imported. About 65% of Canadian exports are purchased by the US;
Why Traders Care: Export demand and currency demand are directly linked because foreigners must buy the domestic currency to pay for the nation's exports. Export demand also impacts production and prices at domestic manufacturers;
Also Called: International Merchandise Trade;
|
| 16:30 |
CAD |
medium |
|
0.4% |
0.5% |
|
Measures: Change in the selling price of new homes;
Usual Effect: Actual > Forecast = Good for currency;
Frequency: Released monthly, about 40 days after the month ends;
Next Release: Apr 13, 2010
Why Traders Care: It's a leading indicator of the housing industry's health because rising house prices attract investors and spur industry activity;
Acro Expand: New Housing Price Index (NHPI);
|
| 16:30 |
CAD |
|
|
67.5% |
70.0% |
|
Measures: Percentage of available resources being utilized by manufacturers, builders, mines, oil extractors, and utilities;
Usual Effect: Actual > Forecast = Good for currency;
Frequency: Released quarterly, about 75 days after the quarter ends;
Next Release: Jun 11, 2010
Why Traders Care: It's a leading indicator of consumer inflation - when producers are nearing full capacity they respond by raising prices, and the higher costs are usually passed on to the consumer;
Also Called: Industrial Capacity Utilization Rate;
|
| 16:30 |
USD |
high |
|
-40.2B |
-40.9B |
|
Measures: Difference in value between imported and exported goods and services during the reported month;
Frequency: Released monthly, about 40 days after the month ends;
Next Release: Apr 13, 2010
FF Notes: A positive number indicates that more goods and services were exported than imported;
Why Traders Care: Export demand and currency demand are directly linked because foreigners must buy the domestic currency to pay for the nation's exports. Export demand also impacts production and prices at domestic manufacturers;
Also Called: International Trade;
|
| 16:30 |
USD |
high |
|
469K |
456K |
|
Measures: The number of individuals who filed for unemployment insurance for the first time during the past week;
Usual Effect: Actual < Forecast = Good for currency;
Frequency: Released weekly, 5 days after the week ends;
Next Release: Mar 18, 2010
FF Notes: This is the nation's earliest economic data. The market impact fluctuates from week to week - there tends to be more focus on the release when traders need to diagnose recent developments, or when the reading is at extremes;
Why Traders Care: Although it's generally viewed as a lagging indicator, the number of unemployed people is an important signal of overall economic health because consumer spending is highly correlated with labor-market conditions;
Also Called: Jobless Claims, Initial Claims;
|
| 16:30 |
CAD |
high |
|
43.0K |
17.5K |
|
Measures the total amount of new capital expenditures by private businesses.
A rising trend has a positive effect on the nation's currency because high levels of business investment are a sign of a strong economy. |
| 18:30 |
USD |
low |
|
-116B |
-147B |
|
Measures: Change in the number of cubic feet of natural gas held in underground storage during the past week;
Frequency: Released weekly, 5 days after the week ends;
Next Release: Mar 18, 2010
FF Notes: While this is a US indicator, it most affects the loonie due to Canada's sizable energy sector;
Also Called: Nat Gas Stocks, Nat Gas Inventories;
Acro Expand: Energy Information Administration (EIA);
|
| 22:00 |
USD |
low |
|
|
|
|
| — |
| 22:05 |
CAD |
medium |
|
|
|
|
Next Release: Jul 22, 2008
Measures: Change in the total value of sales at the retail level, excluding automobiles;
Usual Effect: Actual > Forecast = Good for currency;
Frequency: Released monthly, about 50 days after the month ends;
FF Notes: Automobile sales account for about a quarter of Retail Sales, but they tend to be very volatile and distort the underlying trend. The Core data is therefore thought to be a better gauge of trends in spending;
Also Called: Retail Sales Ex Autos;
|
| 22:05 |
CAD |
medium |
|
|
|
|
FF Alert : Text of the speech due to be released 15 minutes earlier than the speaking time listed;
Speaker: BOC Governor Mark Carney;
Description: Due to speak at Carleton University, in Ottawa;
Usual Effect: More hawkish than expected = Good for currency;
Next Release: Mar 24, 2010
FF Notes: BOC Governor Feb 2008 - Feb 2015. Volatility is sometimes experienced during his speeches as traders attempt to decipher interest rate clues;
Why Traders Care: As head of the central bank, which controls short term interest rates, he has more influence over the nation's currency value than any other person. Traders scrutinize his public engagements as they are often used to drop subtle clues regarding future monetary policy;
Acro Expand: Bank of Canada (BOC);
|
