FX.co ★ Traders economic calendar. International economic events

Gross Domestic Product (GDP) measures the annualized change in the inflation-adjusted value of all goods and services produced by the economy. It is the broadest measure of economic activity and the primary indicator of the economy's health.

A higher than expected reading should be taken as positive/bullish for the SGD, while a lower than expected reading should be taken as negative/bearish for the SGD.

Gross Domestic Product (GDP) measures the annualized change in the inflation-adjusted value of all goods and services produced by the economy. It is the broadest measure of economic activity and the primary indicator of the economy's health. A higher than expected reading should be taken as positive/bullish for the SGD, while a lower than expected reading should be taken as negative/bearish for the SGD.

Exports of goods and services consist of transactions in goods and services (sales, barter, gifts or grants) from residents to non-residents. A function of international trade whereby goods produced in one country are shipped to another country for future sale or trade. The sale of such goods addsto the producing nation's gross output. If used for trade, exports are exchangedfor other products or services. Exports are one of the oldest forms of economic transfer, and occur on a large scale between nations that have fewer restrictions on trade, such as tariffs or subsidies.

Imports of goods and services consist of transactions in goods and services (purchases, barter, gifts or grants) from non-residents to residents. A good or service brought into one country from another. Along with exports, imports form the backbone of international trade. The higher the value of imports entering a country, compared to the value of exports, the more negative that country's balance of trade becomes.

Trade balance is the net difference between exports and imports collected from the import/export entry forms of the Customs Department, which reveal both volume and value of imports and exports. In order for the trade balance to be consistent with the definition of balance of payments, statistical modifications have been made to exclude some customs items for the transactions carried out among the residents. Such items include: goods granted embassy privilege; goods with no change of ownership, e.g., goods sent for repair, temporary imported goods, sample goods, leased goods. Adjustments are as well made to include goods actually imported and exported but did not undergo customs declaration such as military goods, electrical appliances and commercial aircrafts.

Industrial Production measures the change in the total inflation-adjusted value of output produced by manufacturers, mines, and utilities.

A higher than expected reading should be taken as positive/bullish for the SGD, while a lower than expected reading should be taken as negative/bearish for the SGD.

Industrial Production measures the change in the total inflation-adjusted value of output produced by manufacturers, mines, and utilities.

A higher than expected reading should be taken as positive/bullish for the SGD, while a lower than expected reading should be taken as negative/bearish for the SGD.

The deficit or surplus is defined as revenue (plus grants received) less expenditure (less lending minus repayments). Surplus refers to the excess of total government revenues over total expenditures while deficit refers to the excess of total government expenditures over total revenues.

Japan's Composite index of coincident indicators measures current economic conditions. For the main purpose of measuring the amplitude of the fluctuations of economic activities, the composite indexes are constructed by aggregating the percentage changes of the selected series. They are represented with the average of their 1995 values as 100. The coincident index consists of the following components: - Index of industrial production (mining and manufacturing); - Index of consumption of raw materials (manufacturing); - Large industrial power consumption; - Index of capacity utilization ratio (manufacturing); - Index of non-scheduled worked hours; - Index of producer's shipment (investment goods); - Sales at department stores (percent change from the previous year); - Index of sales in wholesale trade (percent change from the previous year); - Operating profits (all industries); - Index of sales in small and medium sized enterprises (manufacturing); - Effective job offer rate (excluding new school graduates).

The Leading Indicators Index is a composite index based on 12 economic indicators, that is designed to predict the future direction of the economy.

A higher than expected reading should be taken as positive/bullish for the JPY, while a lower than expected reading should be taken as negative/bearish for the JPY.

The Leading Indicators Index is a composite index based on 12 economic indicators, that is designed to predict the future direction of the economy.

A higher than expected reading should be taken as positive/bullish for the JPY, while a lower than expected reading should be taken as negative/bearish for the JPY.

Measures the change in the price of goods and services purchased by consumers, excluding food and energy. The BoJ usually pays more attention to the core inflation data.

Producer Price Index (PPI) measures a change in the prices of goods and services, over a span of time, either as they leave their place of production or as they enter the production process. PPI measures a change in the prices received by domestic producers for their outputs or the change in the prices paid by domestic producers for their intermediate inputs. A higher than expected reading should be taken as positive/bullish for the SEK , while a lower than expected reading should be taken as negative/bearish for the SEK.

Producer Price Index (PPI) measures a change in the prices of goods and services, over a span of time, either as they leave their place of production or as they enter the production process. PPI measures a change in the prices received by domestic producers for their outputs or the change in the prices paid by domestic producers for their intermediate inputs. A higher than expected reading should be taken as positive/bullish for the SEK , while a lower than expected reading should be taken as negative/bearish for the SEK.

M3 Money Supply measures the change in the total quantity of domestic currency in circulation and deposited in banks. An increasing supply of money leads to additional spending, which in turn leads to inflation.

C2 stands for ""Credit from domestic sources in NOK and foreign currency"", ie ""the indicator of gross domestic debt for the non-financial private sector and municipalities in NOK and foreign currency"". In addition to C1, ""Credit from domestic sources in NOK and foreign currency"" (C2) consists of lending to the public in foreign currency by Norwegian financial corporations. All growth rate calculations based on holdings which include foreign currency loans are adjusted for changes in exchange rates in order to eliminate all changes not related to transactions. The growth rate calculations are also adjusted for statistical breaks which are not attributable to transactions or valuation changes. An example of this kind of break could be that a financial enterprise moves from one sector to another.

LFS- Labour Force Survey. Three-months moving average. Employed persons are persons aged 16-74 who performed work for pay or profit for at least one hour in the survey week, or who were temporarily absent from work because of illness,holidays etc. Conscripts are classified as employed persons. Persons engaged by government measures to promote employment are also included if they receive wages. Unemployed persons are persons who were not employed in the survey week,but who had been seeking work during the preceding four weeks, and were available for work within the next two weeks. Persons in the labour force are either employed or unemployed. The remaining group of persons is labelled not in the labour force. Unemployed persons and persons not in the labour force constitute the group non-employed persons. A higher than expected reading should be taken as negative/bearish for the NOK , while a lower than expected reading should be taken as positive/bullish for the NOK.

The Leading Indicators Index is a composite index based on 10 economic indicators, that is designed to predict the future direction of the economy. The report tends to have a limited impact because most of the indicators used in the calculation are released previously.

A higher than expected reading should be taken as positive/bullish for the CAD, while a lower than expected reading should be taken as negative/bearish for the CAD.

The Producer Price Index (PPI) measures the change in the price of goods sold by manufacturers. It is a leading indicator of consumer price inflation, which accounts for the majority of overall inflation.

A higher than expected reading should be taken as positive/bullish for the EUR, while a lower than expected reading should be taken as negative/bearish for the EUR.

The unemployment rate represents the number of unemployed persons expressed as a percentage of the labour force. The unemployment rate for a particular age/sex group is the number of unemployed in that group expressed as a percentage of the labour force for that group. The Central Statistical Office, GUS, revised its jobless figures starting in December 2003, after a national census showed a drop in the number of people employed in agriculture. A higher than expected reading should be taken as negative/bearish for the PLN , while a lower than expected reading should be taken as positive/bullish for the PLN.

Industrial Production measures the change in the total inflation-adjusted value of output produced by manufacturers, mines, and utilities.

A higher than expected reading should be taken as positive/bullish for the TWD, while a lower than expected reading should be taken as negative/bearish for the TWD.

The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) Distributive Trades Survey (DTS) measures the health of the retail sector. The reading is compiled from a survey of about 150 retail and wholesale companies. It includes measures of sales activity across the distributive trades. It is a leading indicator of consumer spending. The figure is the difference between the percentage of retailers reporting an increase in sales and those reporting a decrease.

A higher than expected reading should be taken as positive/bullish for the GBP, while a lower than expected reading should be taken as negative/bearish for the GBP.

The Hungarian National Bank Monetary Policy Committee's decision on where to set the benchmark interest rate. Traders watch interest rate changes closely as short term interest rates are the primary factor in currency valuation.

A higher than expected rate is positive/bullish for the HUF, while a lower than expected rate is negative/bearish for the HUF.

A monthly report by the Chicago Federal Reserve Bank that tracks economic activity in the 7th district, which is comprised of Indiana, Iowa, Illinois, Michigan and Wisconsin. The index is useful in tracking economic growth and identifying potential inflation.

A higher than expected reading should be taken as positive/bullish for the USD, while a lower than expected reading should be taken as negative/bearish for the USD.

Manufacturing Sales measures the change in the overall value of sales made at the manufacturing level.

A higher than expected reading should be taken as positive/bullish for the CAD, while a lower than expected reading should be taken as negative/bearish for the CAD.

The House Price Index (HPI) is a broad measure of the movement of single-family house prices, with mortgages backed by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac. This report helps to analyze the strength of the US housing market, which helps to analysis the economy as a whole.

A higher than expected reading should be taken as positive/bullish for the USD, while a lower than expected reading should be taken as negative/bearish for the USD.

The HPI is published by OFHEO using data provided by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. House price index is a statistic designed to reflect the average change of house prices across the country or a certain area. A higher than expected number should be taken as positive to the USD, while a lower than expected number as negative

OFHEO's House Price Index (HPI) is a measure designed to capture changes in the value of single-family homes in the U.S. as a whole, in various regions of the country. The HPI is published by OFHEO using data provided by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. House price index is a statistic designed to reflect the average change of house prices across the country or a certain area. It ensures that the relative importance of different property types in different regions remains fixed throughout the life of the index. Different adjustment must be used as no two houses are identical. Therefore characteristics such as physical attributes of a house or its location should be included in the calculation if the index. Rising house prices are likely to increase consumer confidence and consumer spending which lead to rising aggregate demand. This can have two effects. On one hand it causes higher economic growth. However, on the other hand, it might contribute to inflation. Increased consumer spending is usually aimed at imported goods thus higher house prices cause current account deficit.

House price index is a statistic designed to reflect the average change of house prices across the country or a certain area.It ensures that the relative importance of different property types in different regions remains fixed throughout the life of the index. Different adjustment must be used as no two houses are identical. Therefore characteristics such as physical attributes of a house or its location should be included in the calculation if the index. Rising house prices are likely to increase consumer confidence and consumer spending which lead to rising aggregate demand. This can have two effects. On one hand it causes higher economic growth. However, on the other hand, it might contribute to inflation. Increased consumer spending is usually aimed at imported goods thus higher house prices cause current account deficit.

The S&P/Case-Shiller House Price Index measures the change in the selling price of single-family homes in 20 metropolitan areas.

A higher than expected reading should be taken as positive/bullish for the USD,while a lower than expected reading should be taken as negative/bearish for the USD.

The Case-Shiller index prices are measured monthly and tracks repeat sales of houses using a modified version of the weighted-repeat sales methodology proposed by Karl Case and Robert Shiller and Allan Weiss. This means that, to a large extent, it is able to adjust for the quality of the homes sold, unlike simple averages. As a monthly tracking index, Case-Shiller Index has long lag time. Typically, it takes about 2 months for S&P to publish the results, as opposed to 1 month for most other monthly indices and indicators. A higher than expected number should be taken as positive to the USD, while a lower than expected number as negative.

Conference Board (CB) Consumer Confidence measures the level of consumer confidence in economic activity. It is a leading indicator as it can predict consumer spending, which plays a major role in overall economic activity. Higher readings point to higher consumer optimism.

A higher than expected reading should be taken as positive/bullish for the USD, while a lower than expected reading should be taken as negative/bearish for the USD.

The Dallas Fed conducts the Texas Manufacturing Outlook Survey monthly to obtain a timely assessment of the state factory activity. Firms are asked whether output, employment, orders, prices and other indicators increased, decreased or remained unchanged over the previous month. Survey responses are used to calculate an index for each indicator. Each index is calculated by subtracting the percentage of respondents reporting a decrease from the percentage reporting an increase. When the share of firms reporting an increase exceeds the share of firms reporting a decrease, the index will be greater than zero, suggesting the indicator has increased over the prior month. If the share of firms reporting a decrease exceeds the share reporting an increase, the index will be below zero,suggesting the indicator has decreased over the prior month. An index will be zero when the number of firms reporting an increase is equal to the number of firms reporting a decrease. A higher than expected reading should be taken as positive/bullish for the USD , while a lower than expected reading should be taken as negative/bearish for the USD.

The figures displayed in the calendar represent the rate on the Treasury Bill auctioned.

U.S. Treasury Bills have maturities of a few days to one year. Governments issue treasuries to borrow money to cover the gap between the amount they receive in taxes and the amount they spend to refinance existing debt and/or to raise capital. The rate on a Treasury Bill represents the return an investor will receive by holding the bill for its entire duration. All bidders receive the same rate at the highest accepted bid.

Yield fluctuations should be monitored closely as an indicator of the government debt situation. Investors compare the average rate at auction to the rate at previous auctions of the same security.

The figures displayed in the calendar represent the rate on the Treasury Bill auctioned.

U.S. Treasury Bills have maturities of a few days to one year. Governments issue treasuries to borrow money to cover the gap between the amount they receive in taxes and the amount they spend to refinance existing debt and/or to raise capital. The rate on a Treasury Bill represents the return an investor will receive by holding the bill for its entire duration. All bidders receive the same rate at the highest accepted bid.

Yield fluctuations should be monitored closely as an indicator of the government debt situation. Investors compare the average rate at auction to the rate at previous auctions of the same security.

The figures displayed in the calendar represent the yield on the Treasury Note auctioned.

U.S. Treasury Notes have maturities of two to ten years. Governments issue treasuries to borrow money to cover the gap between the amount they receive in taxes and the amount they spend to refinance existing debt and/or to raise capital. The rate on a Treasury Note represents the return an investor will receive by holding the note for its entire duration. All bidders receive the same rate at the highest accepted bid.

Yield fluctuations should be monitored closely as an indicator of the government debt situation. Investors compare the average rate at auction to the rate at previous auctions of the same security.

US M2 Money Stock refers to the measure of money supply that includes financial assets held mainly by households. These include savings deposits, time deposits, and balances in retail money market mutual funds, in addition to more readily-available liquid financial assets as defined by the M1 measure of money, such as currency, traveler's checks, demand deposits, and other checkable deposits. The US M2 Money Stock is critical in understanding and forecasting money supply, inflation, and interest rates in the US. Historically, when the money supply dramatically increased in global economies, there would be a following dramatic increase in prices of goods and services, which would then follow monetary policy with the aim to maintain inflation levels low.

The current account is the international flow of money for purposes other than investments. It offers a broad picture of how an economy is managing its finances with the rest of the world. If a country has a deficit in its current account it means that it has a saving deficit. The country is living above its means and is gradually becoming indebted to the world. The current account consists of the net total of: - (BOP) TRADE BALANCE: Export f.o.b. less Imports c.i.f. - (BOP) GENERAL GOVERNMENT: This covers all government current expenditure and receipts not appropriated to trade balance or to other transactions. - (BOP) TRANSPORT: Sea Transport: Receipts and payments for freight, charter hire, passage money, oil bunkers, and other disbursements. - (BOP) INTEREST, PROFITS, AND DIVIDENDS - (BOP) TRANSFERS

The Corporate Services Price Index (CSPI) measures the change in the price of goods sold by corporations. It is a leading indicator of consumer price inflation.

A higher than expected reading should be taken as positive/bullish for the JPY, while a lower than expected reading should be taken as negative/bearish for the JPY.