| Time |
Currency |
Economic impact |
Event |
Prev. |
Forecast |
Fact |
| 00:45 |
NZD |
low |
Overseas Trade Index q/q |
-1.6% |
1.2% |
5.7% |
Measures: Change in the price of internationally traded goods and services;
Usual Effect: Actual > Forecast = Good for currency;
Frequency: Released quarterly, about 70 days after the quarter ends;
Next Release: Jun 10, 2010
FF Notes: Calculates the volume of imports that can be purchased with an equal volume of exports;
Also Called: Terms of Trade Index;
|
| 02:30 |
AUD |
medium |
Westpac Consumer Sentiment |
-2.6% |
|
0.2% |
Measures: Change in the level of a diffusion index based on surveyed consumers;
Usual Effect: Actual > Forecast = Good for currency;
Frequency: Released monthly, around the middle of the current month;
Next Release: Apr 8, 2010
Why Traders Care: Financial confidence is a leading indicator of consumer spending, which accounts for a majority of overall economic activity;
Derived Via: Survey of about 1,200 consumers which asks respondents to rate the relative level of past and future economic conditions, employment, and climate for major purchases;
Also Called: Westpac-Melbourne Institute Consumer Sentiment;
|
| 02:50 |
JPY |
medium |
Core Machinery Orders m/m |
20.1% |
-3.8% |
-3.7% |
Measures: Change in the total value of new private-sector purchase orders placed with manufacturers for machines, excluding ships and utilities;
Usual Effect: Actual > Forecast = Good for currency;
Frequency: Released monthly, about 40 days after the month ends;
Next Release: Apr 12, 2010
Why Traders Care: It's a leading indicator of production - rising purchase orders signal that manufacturers will increase activity as they work to fill the orders;
Also Called: Machine Orders;
|
| 02:50 |
JPY |
low |
CGPI y/y |
-2.1% |
-1.4% |
-1.5% |
Measures: Change in the price of goods sold by corporations;
Usual Effect: Actual > Forecast = Good for currency;
Frequency: Released monthly, about 11 days after the month ends;
Next Release: Apr 12, 2010
Why Traders Care: It's a leading indicator of consumer inflation - when corporations charge more for goods the higher costs are usually passed on to the consumer;
Also Called: Domestic CGPI, Producer Prices;
|
| 03:30 |
AUD |
high |
Home Loans m/m |
-5.1% |
2.1% |
-7.9% |
Measures: Change in the number of new loans granted for owner occupied homes;
Usual Effect: Actual > Forecast = Good for currency;
Frequency: Released monthly, about 40 days after the month ends;
Next Release: Apr 12, 2010
Why Traders Care: It's a leading indicator of demand in the housing market - most homes are financed, so it provides an excellent gauge of how many qualified buyers are entering the market;
Also Called: Dwelling Finance Commitments;
|
| 10:00 |
EUR |
low |
German Final CPI m/m |
0.2% |
0.2% |
0.4% |
Measures: Change in the price of goods and services purchased by consumers;
Usual Effect: Actual > Forecast = Good for currency;
Frequency: Released monthly, about 12 days after the month ends;
Next Release: Apr 12, 2010
Acro Expand: Consumer Price Index (CPI);
|
| 10:00 |
EUR |
|
German Trade Balance |
|
|
|
Measures: Difference in value between imported and exported goods during the reported month;
Usual Effect: Actual > Forecast = Good for currency;
Frequency: Released monthly, about 40 days after the month ends;
Next Release: Apr 8, 2010
FF Notes: This is the seasonally adjusted data (as most FF numbers are), not to be confused with the non-seasonally adjusted number reported by some news agencies. A positive number indicates that more goods were exported than imported;
Why Traders Care: Export demand and currency deman
3e8
d are directly linked because foreigners must buy the domestic currency to pay for the nation's exports. Export demand also impacts production and prices at domestic manufacturers;
Also Called: Foreign Trade;
|
| 10:45 |
EUR |
medium |
French Industrial Production m/m |
|
|
|
Measures: Change in the total inflation-adjusted value of output produced by manufacturers, mines, and utilities;
Usual Effect: Actual > Forecast = Good for currency;
Frequency: Released monthly, about 40 days after the month ends;
Next Release: Apr 12, 2010
Why Traders Care: It's a leading indicator of economic health - production reacts quickly to ups and downs in the business cycle and is correlated with consumer conditions such as employment levels and earnings;
|
| 12:00 |
EUR |
low |
Italian Industrial Production m/m |
-0.7% |
0.7% |
|
Measures: Change in the total inflation-adjusted value of output produced by manufacturers, mines, and utilities;
Usual Effect: Actual > Forecast = Good for currency;
Frequency: Released monthly, about 40 days after the month ends;
Next Release: Apr 12, 2010
Why Traders Care: It's a leading indicator of economic health - production reacts quickly to ups and downs in the business cycle and is correlated with consumer conditions such as employment levels and earnings;
|
| 12:30 |
GBP |
|
Manufacturing Production m/m |
|
|
|
Measures: Change in the total inflation-adjusted value of output produced by manufacturers;
Usual Effect: Actual > Forecast = Good for currency;
Frequency: Released monthly, about 40 days after the month ends;
Next Release: Apr 13, 2010
FF Notes: Manufacturing makes up around 80% of total Industrial Production and tends to dominate the market impact;
Why Traders Care: It's a leading indicator of economic health - production reacts quickly to ups and downs in the business cycle and is correlated with consumer conditions such as employment levels and earnings;
Also Called: Factory production;
|
| 12:30 |
GBP |
low |
Industrial Production m/m |
0.5% |
0.2% |
|
Measures: Change in the total inflation-adjusted value of output produced by manufacturers, mines, and utilities;
Frequency: Released monthly, about 40 days after the month ends;
Next Release: Apr 13, 2010
FF Notes: Mines and utilities make up around 20% of total production, so this data tends to be overshadowed by Manufacturing Production which makes up the other 80%;
|
| 18:00 |
USD |
low |
Wholesale Inventories m/m |
-0.8% |
0.2% |
|
Measures: Change in the total value of goods held in inventory by wholesalers;
Usual Effect: Actual < Forecast = Good for currency;
Frequency: Released monthly, about 40 days after the month ends;
Next Release: Apr 9, 2010
Why Traders Care: It's a signal of future business spending because companies are more likely to purchase goods when they have depleted inventories;
|
| 18:30 |
USD |
medium |
Crude Oil Inventories |
4.1M |
1.9M |
|
Measures: Change in the number of barrels of crude oil held in inventory by commercial firms during the past week;
Usual Effect: No consistent effect - there are both inflationary and growth implications;
Frequency: Released weekly, 4 days after the week ends;
Next Release: Mar 17, 2010
FF Notes: While this is a US indicator, it most affects the loonie due to Canada's sizable energy sector;
Why Traders Care: It influences the price of petroleum products which affects inflation, but also impacts growth as many industries rely on oil to produce goods;
Also Called: Crude Stocks, Crude Levels;
Acro Expand: Energy Information Administration (EIA);
|
| 21:00 |
EUR |
medium |
ECB President Trichet Speaks |
|
|
|
Speaker: ECB President Jean-Claude Trichet;
Description: Due to speak at the inauguration ceremony of "The Language of Money" exhibition, in Frankfurt;
Next Release: Mar 12, 2010
FF Notes: ECB President Nov 2003 - Nov 2011. Volatility is often experienced during his speeches as traders attempt to decipher interest rate clues;
Why Traders Care: As head of the ECB, which controls short term interest rates, he has more influence over the euro's value than any other person. Traders scrutinize his public engagements as they are often used to drop subtle clues regarding future monetary policy;
Acro Expand: European Central Bank (ECB);
|
| 22:00 |
USD |
medium |
Federal Budget Balance |
-42.6B |
-207.5B |
|
| — |
| 23:00 |
NZD |
high |
Official Cash Rate |
2.50% |
2.50% |
|
Measures: Interest rate at which banks lend balances held at the RBNZ to other banks;
Usual Effect: Actual > Forecast = Good for currency;
Frequency: Scheduled 8 times per year;
Next Release: Apr 29, 2010
FF Notes: The rate decision is often priced in the market so it tends to be overshadowed by the Interest Rate Statement which is focused on the future;
Why Traders Care: Short term interest rates are the paramount factor in currency valuation - traders look at most other indicators merely to predict how rates will change in the future;
Derived Via: The RBNZ Governor decides where to set the rate after consulting senior bank staff and external advisers;
Also Called: Interest Rates, OCR;
Acro Expand: Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ), Official Cash Rate (OCR);
|
| 23:00 |
NZD |
high |
RBNZ Press Conference |
|
|
|
Speaker: RBNZ Governor;
Usual Effect: More hawkish than expected = Good for currency;
Frequency: Scheduled quarterly, at every other Official Cash Rate announcement;
Next Release: Jun 10, 2010
FF Notes: The press conference is about 30 minutes long and has 2 parts - first a prepared statement is read, then the conference is open to press questions. The questions sometimes lead to unscripted answers that create heavy market volatility. The press conference is webcasted on the RBNZ website with a slight delay from real-time;
Why Traders Care: It's among the primary tools the RBNZ uses to communicate with investors about mon
3e8
etary policy. It covers in detail the factors that affected the most recent interest rate decision, such as the overall economic outlook and inflation. Most importantly, it provides clues regarding future monetary policy;
Also Called: Monetary Policy Statement Media Conference;
Acro Expand: Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ);
|
| 23:00 |
NZD |
high |
RBNZ Rate Statement |
|
|
|
Usual Effect: More hawkish than expected = Good for currency;
Frequency: Scheduled 8 times per year;
Next Release: Apr 29, 2010
Why Traders Care: It's among the primary tools the RBNZ uses to communicate with investors about monetary policy. It contains the outcome of their decision on interest rates and commentary about the economic conditions that influenced their decision. Most importantly, it discusses the economic outlook and offers clues on the outcome of future decisions;
Also Called: Policy Assessment, Interest Rate Statement;
Acro Expand: Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ);
|
| 23:00 |
NZD |
medium |
RBNZ Monetary Policy Statement |
|
|
|
Usual Effect: More hawkish than expected = Good for currency;
Frequency: Released quarterly;
Next Release: Jun 10, 2010
FF Notes: In this report the RBNZ is mandated to include details on how they will achieve their inflation targets, how they propose to formulate and
3e8
implement monetary policy during the next five years, and how monetary policy has been implemented since the last statement's release;
Why Traders Care: It provides valuable insight into the bank's view of economic conditions and inflation - the key factors that will shape the future of monetary policy and influence their interest rate decisions;
Acro Expand: Related Items
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