A Brief Guide to Using Economic Calendar

No Comments

Fundamental and technical analyses are crucial for traders if they want to figure out the perfect formula for binary options trading. Technical analysis has been discussed numerous times here at the 7BO binary options education with different concepts, and from different perspectives, so now, we are going to devote some time and space to fundamental analysis and how it can be used in the trader’s favor.

So far, traders are very well aware that economic news can dictate price movements and market fluctuations, but they often neglect the correlation between the two currency pairs. Namely, the currencies are tied to different economies, and that is one of the key factors here. Let’s take the most traded currency pair USDEUR as an example, where traders need to observe both economies, the Eurozone and the US economy to predict the market movements more accurately; predictions based on educated, objective guesses.

What is the Economic Calendar?

The economic calendar represents regularly scheduled news which is easily available via Internet, and the best part is, they entail the hints for market movements. Many trading platforms display economic calendars for free, as for example www.forexfactory.com or www.dailyfx.com.

Traders do not have to be concerned if they will be able to read the calendar since everything is clearly defined and displayed. It shows the time of news release, the currency that underlies fluctuation, and a standard definition or interpretation on how exactly is the currency going to be affected by the news. Also, the calendar indicates the significance of the news released as well as its history which enables traders to take a peek at price movements in the past two years. All of the above-mentioned can help traders to identify eventual tops or bottoms of a trend, and if the trend is weak or strong.

Make a Study Checklist

In order to make your economic calendar analysis more efficient, you could make a checklist of the most important factors which can account for an easier overview of the economic calendar. Check out the following information:

Make use of the economic calendar’s features that lets you observe previous trend movements, and you may look for a specific trend and its behavior and movement in the past to compare it to the current situation and the status of the trend. The calendar offers you to select a period which you want to examine and int hat way you can get the information right on the spot.
Since the news releases directly influence currency movements, you should always look up for the news related to the currency or currencies you want tot rade. For example, follow Eurozone news releases with great care if you want to trade the Euro, and your task is to examine the euro+other currency pairs which are going to be affected. Alos, follow Australian news releases if trading the Australian dollar, since it will cause all active movements in AUSD+ other currencies. Now we come to the part of inter-linkage, whereby for example you can expect the AUSD to fluctuate if the Chinese economic news is being released since China is Australia’s biggest export spot.
Watch previous releases to see how the forecasts reflected on current news especially when automated trading is used. The expert robots are programmed to predict results based on these forecasts, so if you spot a significant change between the two news releases, then you should act promptly and take matters into your own hands. If the predicted value is bigger than the actual, it might change the course of trade, and you can jump in to either put or call, based on the currency pair you trade. Also, do not forget, that the binary options market does not only offer currencies, but you are also welcome to trade stocks, commodities such as oil, gold, etc.

Market Events Revolving Around Particular Equities

Here we have the standard, regular news releases on equities which can affect prices and trends, but for a more comprehensive analysis, traders should also follow the news that the relevant companies release about their equities. So, you are not only supposed to follow the news on the macro level but engage at the micro level as well. Research the dates when the companies schedule their press conferences where important data are released, as well as news related to earnings and the company’s profits. Traders often neglect this news, but they are very important, giving hints about how to set your expiration dates, e.g. is it better to make a short-term or long-term trade, etc.

If you are trading shares of oil, you should know that the economic calendar displays information on oil inventories, which represents a major factor for production levels, which, further relate to the value of the oil in the market.

An indicator is that when inventories are rising, it means that oils prices will tumble down, which is the result of a drop in demand. Here, out options would be desired directly on the oil product, but if your broker does not offer trading options on oil, you may indirectly sneak onto the oil market by trading the Canadian dollar (CAD) since it is in direct relation to the oil market.

Rising inventories lower oil prices as we can see, which simultaneously influences the CAD to drop in values, and traders can benefit from trading call options on the USDCAD currency pair.

The economic calendar is also presented in more detail in the video below as part of this article giving you a precise overview of how the calendar works.

Economic Calendar Indicators

Here is a list of key indicators you can use to improve your trading career by optimizing your chances

GDP releases– if the GDP turns out to be higher than it was expected, it means that traders can enter more positions since the market will be flourishing. The opposite happens when GDP is lower than forecasted, and the market will definitely be subject to negative vibes (i.e. negative changes) with turbulent fluctuations.
Industrial production– is a market factor that is not to be left out of the market analysis. Even if the industry shares are dropping, it still is a key factor by providing the best-paid jobs for the middle class.
Housing– this factor is especially relevant when trading the USD since housing has always been a great wealth indicator in the USA, including the value of equities. The indicator drew even more attention after the global financial crisis.
Purchasing Manager’s Index – provides information on how purchasing managers perceive and predict the market events. These purchasing managers usually come from the most renowned and the biggest companies so traders should bear that in mind. It is published monthly and can serve as a trader’s compass.
Producer Price Index entails the purchasing power of companies and market demands. If the prices are tumbling down, it simply means that the demand for industrial products has dropped and represents a weakening industrial power.
Consumer Confidence Index– this index familiarizes you with the opinions of consumers on the current market events and their expectations about incomes, consumption demand, and the economy in general
Consumer Credit Report– these data reveal the status of credits in the economy. If they are rising, the incomes are expected to rise as well.
Durable Goods– reveals the interest in investment by revealing the demand for capital goods.
CPI Inflation– inflation rates are one of the essential indicators of a country’s economy and the direction of their monetary policies, and if inflation is higher than expected, it will lower the interest, which is good for those who owe, but bad for those who own.
Home sales- are connected to housing starts and the demand in the market, representing the opposite of housing starts.
Employment rates– the bigger the employment rate, the more stable the economy which leads to price boost.
Jobless claims– a report showing the number of people who applied for unemployment assistance.
Retail data- gives a percentage of consumer purchases and demand for goods by revealing the turnover of retail stores
Factory orders– the monthly edition of this report shows order books of factories which reveal the demand for industrial products and future outlooks
Trade balance– is a report that indicates demand in domestic, as well as in imported products in a specific country. The big export countries are mostly associated with his indicator in the market, e.g. Germany, China, Japan, etc.