How to Use the Investing.com Economic Calendar to Stay Ahead of the Market

The Investing.com economic calendar is a useful tool for traders and investors who want to keep track of the latest economic events and indicators that can affect the financial markets. The economic calendar provides real-time data on various aspects of the global economy, such as GDP, inflation, unemployment, trade balance, consumer confidence, industrial production, retail sales, and more. The economic calendar also covers important announcements from central banks, such as interest rate decisions, monetary policy statements, and speeches by policymakers.

The economic calendar allows users to filter the events by country, category, impact level, and time range. Users can also customize their time zone and language settings to view the data in their preferred format. The economic calendar displays the previous, forecast, and actual values of each indicator, as well as the percentage change from the previous period. Users can also see a graphical representation of the data by clicking on the chart icon next to each event.

The economic calendar is updated automatically as new data are released or revised. Users can also access historical data and analysis by clicking on the event name. The economic calendar also provides a legend that explains the meaning of each symbol and color used in the display.

Why is the Economic Calendar Important?

The economic calendar is important because it helps users to anticipate and react to market movements caused by economic events and indicators. Economic events and indicators can have a significant impact on the prices of various assets, such as currencies, stocks, commodities, bonds, and cryptocurrencies. By knowing when and what data are expected to be released, users can prepare their trading strategies accordingly and take advantage of market opportunities.

For example, if a user expects that the U.S. non-farm payrolls report will show a strong increase in employment in August 2023, they may decide to buy the U.S. dollar against other currencies before the data are released. If the actual data match or exceed their expectations, they may profit from the appreciation of the U.S. dollar. However, if the actual data disappoint or miss their expectations, they may incur losses from the depreciation of the U.S. dollar.

Similarly, if a user expects that the European Central Bank (ECB) will announce a tapering of its quantitative easing program in September 2023, they may decide to sell European bonds before the announcement. If the ECB confirms their expectations, they may profit from the rise in bond yields and fall in bond prices. However, if the ECB surprises them by maintaining or increasing its stimulus measures, they may incur losses from the fall in bond yields and rise in bond prices.

How to Use the Economic Calendar Effectively?

To use the economic calendar effectively, users need to consider several factors, such as:

• The relevance of each event and indicator for their trading goals and instruments. For example, if a user is trading oil futures contracts, they may pay more attention to events and indicators related to oil supply and demand, such as OPEC meetings, U.S. crude oil inventories, and global oil production.
• The impact level of each event and indicator on market volatility. The economic calendar assigns different impact levels to each event and indicator based on their potential to cause significant price fluctuations in the market. The impact levels are low (green), medium (orange), and high (red). Users should be aware of the high-impact events and indicators that may trigger large market movements and adjust their risk management accordingly.
• The consensus forecast and actual values of each event and indicator. The economic calendar shows the consensus forecast of analysts and experts for each event and indicator before they are released. Users can compare the forecast values with the actual values after they are released to gauge the market reaction and sentiment. Generally speaking, if the actual value is better than the forecast value (positive surprise), it may have a positive effect on the related asset or market. Conversely, if the actual value is worse than the forecast value (negative surprise), it may have a negative effect on the related asset or market.
• The historical trends and patterns of each event and indicator. The economic calendar provides historical data and analysis for each event and indicator that users can access by clicking on the event name. Users can use this information to identify trends and patterns in the data over time and across different periods (e.g., monthly, quarterly, yearly). Users can also use this information to compare current data with previous data to assess whether there is an improvement or deterioration in the economic conditions.

Conclusion

The Investing.com economic calendar is a valuable tool for traders and investors who want to stay ahead of the market by following the latest economic events and indicators that can affect their trading decisions. The economic calendar provides real-time data on various aspects of the global economy in an easy-to-use format that users can customize according to their preferences. The economic calendar also helps users to anticipate and react to market movements caused by economic events and indicators by providing them with relevant information, such as forecast, actual, and historical values, impact levels, and graphical representations. By using the economic calendar effectively, users can enhance their trading performance and profitability.