# Economic Calendar Guide

Track market-moving economic events and data releases.

---

## Overview

The Economic Calendar aggregates events from multiple sources:

- **Finnhub** — Global economic indicators
- **FXStreet** — Forex-focused events
- **FRED** — US Federal Reserve data releases

All events are unified into a single, filterable calendar.

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## Viewing the Calendar

### Calendar View
- **Monthly grid** showing event density
- Click any day to see events
- Color coding by impact level

### List View
- **Chronological list** of upcoming events
- Full details visible
- Easy scrolling

### Switching Views
Use the toggle at the top of the calendar to switch between views.

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## Understanding Events

### Event Information

| Field | Description |
|-------|-------------|
| **Event Name** | Official name (e.g., "Nonfarm Payrolls") |
| **Country** | Country flag and code |
| **Date/Time** | When the data is released |
| **Impact** | Expected market impact level |
| **Previous** | Last reported value |
| **Forecast** | Consensus estimate |
| **Actual** | Reported value (after release) |

### Impact Levels

| Level | Meaning | Examples |
|-------|---------|----------|
| **Critical** | Major market mover | NFP, FOMC, CPI |
| **High** | Significant impact | GDP, Retail Sales |
| **Medium** | Moderate impact | PMI, Housing Starts |
| **Low** | Minor impact | Consumer Credit, Trade Balance |

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## Key Economic Indicators

### Employment
| Indicator | Frequency | Impact |
|-----------|-----------|--------|
| Nonfarm Payrolls (NFP) | Monthly | Critical |
| Unemployment Rate | Monthly | High |
| Jobless Claims | Weekly | Medium |
| ADP Employment | Monthly | Medium |

### Inflation
| Indicator | Frequency | Impact |
|-----------|-----------|--------|
| CPI (Consumer Price Index) | Monthly | Critical |
| Core CPI | Monthly | Critical |
| PPI (Producer Price Index) | Monthly | High |
| PCE Price Index | Monthly | High |

### Central Banks
| Event | Frequency | Impact |
|-------|-----------|--------|
| FOMC Rate Decision | 8x/year | Critical |
| FOMC Minutes | 8x/year | High |
| Fed Chair Speech | Variable | High |
| ECB Rate Decision | 8x/year | Critical |

### Growth
| Indicator | Frequency | Impact |
|-----------|-----------|--------|
| GDP | Quarterly | High |
| Retail Sales | Monthly | High |
| Industrial Production | Monthly | Medium |
| Durable Goods Orders | Monthly | Medium |

### Housing
| Indicator | Frequency | Impact |
|-----------|-----------|--------|
| Housing Starts | Monthly | Medium |
| Existing Home Sales | Monthly | Medium |
| New Home Sales | Monthly | Medium |
| Building Permits | Monthly | Low |

---

## Filtering Events

### By Country
- **Major**: US, EU, UK, Japan, China
- **Other**: Canada, Australia, Switzerland, etc.

### By Impact
- Show only Critical + High for focused view
- Include Medium for comprehensive view

### By Category
| Category | Events |
|----------|--------|
| Employment | NFP, Jobless Claims, etc. |
| Inflation | CPI, PPI, PCE |
| GDP/Growth | GDP, Retail Sales |
| Interest Rates | Fed, ECB, BOJ decisions |
| Housing | Starts, Sales, Permits |
| Trade | Trade Balance, Exports |
| Consumer | Consumer Confidence, Sentiment |
| Manufacturing | PMI, Industrial Production |

### By Currency
Filter to events affecting specific currencies:
- USD, EUR, GBP, JPY, CHF, CAD, AUD, NZD

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## Surprise Calculations

After an event, see how the actual compared to expectations.

### Surprise Percentage
```
Surprise = (Actual - Forecast) / |Forecast| × 100%
```

### Interpreting Surprises

| Surprise | Meaning |
|----------|---------|
| > +5% | Strong beat (bullish for currency) |
| +1% to +5% | Modest beat |
| -1% to +1% | In-line |
| -1% to -5% | Modest miss |
| < -5% | Strong miss (bearish for currency) |

### Historical Surprises
View past releases:
- Track which indicators consistently surprise
- See how markets reacted

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## Calendar Widgets

### Sidebar Widget
- Shows high-impact events in next 24 hours
- Available on Dashboard and Trading pages

### Console Widget
- Compact calendar in terminal view
- Recent releases with actual vs forecast

### Recent Releases
- Last 24 hours of released data
- Surprise indicators
- Quick view of what just happened

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## Setting Up Alerts

Never miss an important release.

### Creating Calendar Alerts

1. Go to **Economic Calendar**
2. Find the event
3. Click the **Alert** icon
4. Choose timing:
   - 1 hour before
   - 30 minutes before
   - 15 minutes before
   - When released
5. Select notification method

### Recurring Alerts
For regular events (monthly NFP, etc.):
- Set up once
- Automatically alerts before each release

### Alert Options
- Push notification
- Email
- Both

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## Trading Around Events

### Pre-Event Considerations
- Volatility often increases before major releases
- Consider reducing position sizes
- Wider stop losses may be needed

### Post-Event Trading
- Wait for initial volatility to settle
- Confirm direction with price action
- Consider the surprise vs. expectations

### Event Blackouts
In AI trading strategies, you can set:
- **Blackout periods** — No trading N minutes before/after events
- **Position reduction** — Reduce size before events
- **Event filters** — Only trade during quiet periods

---

## Using Calendar in Strategies

### Event-Aware Signals
| Signal | Description |
|--------|-------------|
| `economic_event_upcoming` | Event within N hours |
| `high_impact_day` | Major event today |
| `event_blackout` | Within blackout period |

### Example Strategy Adjustment
"Do not enter new positions if a Critical event is within 2 hours"

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## Data Sources

### Finnhub
- Broad global coverage
- Free tier available
- Updates every 6 hours

### FXStreet
- Forex-focused events
- Real-time updates
- Institutional quality

### FRED
- US Federal Reserve data
- Official government statistics
- Release schedule for major indicators

### Data Freshness
- Calendar syncs every 6 hours
- Actual values update in real-time
- Historical data available

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## Tips for Using the Calendar

### Do
- Check calendar at start of trading day
- Be aware of high-impact events
- Consider event timing in your trades
- Review surprise patterns

### Don't
- Trade blindly into major events
- Ignore timezone differences
- Assume all events matter equally
- Forget non-US events can move markets too

### Key Trading Days
- **First Friday** — US NFP release
- **FOMC days** — Rate decisions
- **CPI release days** — Inflation data
- **Quad witching** — Options expiration

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## Troubleshooting

### Events Not Showing
- Check your filters
- Events may not yet be scheduled
- Try refreshing the page

### Wrong Timezone
- Calendar uses your local timezone
- Check system timezone settings
- All times converted automatically

### Missing Actual Values
- Data is added after official release
- May take a few minutes to appear
- Check official source if urgent

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## Next Steps

1. **Browse this week's calendar** — See what's coming up
2. **Set an alert** for the next major event
3. **Review recent surprises** — Learn how data compared to forecasts
4. **Add calendar widget** to your Dashboard

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*Economic data can cause significant market volatility. Trade with appropriate caution around major releases.*