Ebook indd

© 1st Forex Trading Academy 2004
24
How to read and interpret a weekly economic calendar
The above scenario plays out in every trader from time to time. New bee and veteran alike. The 
winning trader senses what is happening and nips it in the bud. The winning trader spend time 
EVERY DAY, working on “the discipline of trading”. Reads a chapter in his favorite psychological 
trading book, scans the “ten commandments of trading” that hangs on the wall over his/her desk, 
listens to his/her mental training software for futures traders… Something… Every Day… before 
trading begins.
Do not lose your hard earned money, as very often it’s extremely hard to recover it. Fact is that 
most of the times you just never get it back and instead of making money you will be struggling 
to recover the losses incurred. 
1st Forex trading academy will provide you with a weekly economic calendar and the dose of 
ammunition to be a winner in the battlefield. The support, resistance levels with possible high and 
low targets, and to establish the direction of the Forex trading market is our job. 
How to read and interpret a weekly economic calendar
The calendar lists the important economic events for the day, by the time at which they occur (or 
at midnight if they do not have a specific time).
Sections on the different panels below the main display give access to the financial events for 
each day and time of the current week, indicators and forecast. The calendar always opens on the 
current day and the displayed date is noted in the Title Bar for the calendar.
The currency displays all events for that week with additional information.
You use technical analysis to trade but the currency markets are driven by major fundamental 
announcements. Therefore, it is important to know exactly when these announcements will be 
made so you can take advantage of the big moves that follow or avoid losing through a sudden 
surprise reaction.
Sometimes consolidation takes place before a major fundamental announcement and you can 
benefit from a straddle trade. Economic calendars show in advance what time the economic data 
release will take place.
If traders are expecting an interest rate to rise and it does, there usually will not be much of a 
movement because the information will already have been discounted by the market. However, if 
the interest rate does not rise as expected, then the market may react violently.

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© 1st Forex Trading Academy 2004
25
How to read and interpret a weekly economic calendar
Economic Data Release Calendar
1st Forex Trading Academy
June 21, 2004 – June 25, 2004
Date Country/ 
Currency
Event
New
York
GMT CONSENSUS PREVIOUS
Mon JPY
Machine Tools Orders (y/y)
02:00 06:00
55.1%
JPY
Convenience Store Sales (y/y) (May)
03:00 07:00
0.7%
EUR
ECB Tumpei-Gugerell speech (Frankfurt)
EUR
EU-Japan Summit (Tokyo)
Tue
CHF
Trade Balance (May)
03:45 07:15
CHF0.49Bn
CAD
CPI (m/m) (May)
07:00 11:00
0.5%
0.2%
CAD
CPI Ex Core 8 (May)
07:00 11:00
1.5%
1.8%
CAD
Leading Indicators (m/m) (May)
08:30 12:30
0.6%
0.6%
EUR
ECB Weekly Financial Statement - Balance (Jun 18) 09:00 13:00
869.05Bn
EUR
ECB Weekly Currency Reserves (Jun 18)
09:00 13:00
175.2Bn
JPY
Merchants Trade Balance Total
19:50 23:50
JPY800Bn
JPY1079.1Bn
Wed
GBP
Bank of England Minutes (9/10 June Mtg)
04:30 08:30
CAD
Wholesale Sales (m/m) (Apr)
08:30 12:30
0.2%
4.6%
JPY
Tertiary Industry Index (m/m) (Apr)
19:50 23:50
1.0%
1.0%
JPY
All Industry Activity Index (m/m) (Apr)
19:50 23:50
1.1%
1.1%
JPY
BSI Large All Industry (q/q) (Q2)
19:50 23:50
5.1%
JPY
Adjusted Merchandise Trade (May)
19:50 23:50
JPY1084.2Bn
JPY985Bn
GBP
CBI Monthly Industrial Trends Survey
06:00 10:00
Thu
USD
Initial Jobless Claims (Jun 19)
08:30 12:30
336K
USD
Durable Goods Orders (May)
08:30 12:30
1.5%
-3.2%
USD
New Home Sales (May)
10:00 14:00
1120K
1093K
JPY
Tokyo CPI (m/m) s.a. (Jun)
19:30 23:30
-0.1%
JPY
Tokyo CPI Ex Fresh Food (m.m) s.a. (Jun)
19:30 23:30
0%
JPY
National Consumer Prices s.a. (May)
19:30 23:30
-0.3%
JPY
National CPI Ex Fresh Food (m/m) (May)
19:30 23:30
-0.1%
JPY
BoJ Monetary Policy Meeting 
GBP
MPC members testify to TSC
CAD
BoC Dodge speech (Paris)
Fri
EUR
ECB EZ - Current Account s.a. (Apr)
04:00 08:00
9Bn
5.1Bn
GBP
BBA Releases UK Mortgage Lending Figures
04:30 08:30
EUR
Industrial New Orders s.a. (m/m) (Apr)
05:00 09:00
1.1%
1.5%
CAD
Retail Sales (m/m) (Apr)
08:30 12:30
0.7%
1.2%
CAD
Retail Sales Less Autos (m/m) (Apr)
08:30 12:30
0.2%
1.0%
USD
GDP (Q1)
08:30 12:30
4.5%
4.4%
USD
Personal Consumption (Q1)
08:30 12:30
3.9%
3.9%
USD
GDP Price Deflator (Q1)
08:30 12:30
2.6%
2.6%
USD
University of Michigan Confidence (Jun)
09:50 13:50
93
95.2
USD
Existing Home Sales (May)
10:00 14:00
6.5Mn
6.64Mn

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