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Trader's Toolkit

News days, on your UTC+1 clock.

The 23 releases that move EUR/USD, GBP/USD and gold — with usual UTC+1 times, a live countdown to the next big three, and a routine that keeps beginners out of the spike.

LIVE DATES

Next market movers

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Nonfarm Payrolls—Loading…
US CPI—Loading…
FOMC Decision—Loading…
Beginner routine

Three rules before red news

  1. Check — every morning, note red USD events at 1:30pm UTC+1 and any 12pm–2pm central-bank days.
  2. Wait — no new trades 15 minutes before and 15 minutes after a red release. Spreads widen, stops slip.
  3. Sit out NFP Friday — if you are new, make the first Friday of the month a demo day or a day off.

Want the full routine, with the UTC+1 clock explained? ReadHow to Read the Economic Calendar (UTC+1).

● HIGHUSD

Nonfarm Payrolls (NFP)

Usual slot
First Friday monthly · 1:30pm WAT
Moves
EUR/USD · GBP/USD · USD/JPY · XAU/USD

The biggest monthly US jobs number. A surprise moves the dollar — and gold — in seconds.

● HIGHUSD

US CPI (Inflation)

Usual slot
Monthly, mid-month · 1:30pm WAT
Moves
EUR/USD · GBP/USD · XAU/USD

Hot inflation pushes rate-hike bets up and the dollar with them. Cold prints do the reverse.

● HIGHUSD

FOMC Rate Decision

Usual slot
8× per year · 7:00pm + 7:30pm presser WAT
Moves
All USD pairs · XAU/USD

The Fed sets the dollar’s price. The statement moves markets; Powell’s press conference moves them again.

● HIGHUSD

FOMC Meeting Minutes

Usual slot
3 weeks after decision · 7:00pm WAT
Moves
EUR/USD · XAU/USD

Shows how split the Fed is. Hawkish minutes lift the dollar even with no rate change.

● HIGHUSD

US GDP (Advance)

Usual slot
Quarterly · 1:30pm WAT
Moves
EUR/USD · USD/JPY

The headline growth number. Big beats raise dollar demand; big misses cut it.

● HIGHUSD

US Retail Sales

Usual slot
Monthly, mid-month · 1:30pm WAT
Moves
EUR/USD · GBP/USD

Shoppers drive the US economy. Strong sales = strong dollar, usually.

● HIGHUSD

US PCE Inflation

Usual slot
Monthly, late month · 1:30pm WAT
Moves
EUR/USD · XAU/USD

The Fed’s favourite inflation gauge. Moves rate expectations like CPI does.

● HIGHUSD

US PPI (Producer Prices)

Usual slot
Monthly · 1:30pm WAT
Moves
EUR/USD · XAU/USD

Factory-gate inflation that often leaks into CPI. Early warning for dollar moves.

● HIGHUSD

ISM Manufacturing PMI

Usual slot
1st business day monthly · 3:00pm WAT
Moves
EUR/USD · USD/JPY

Above 50 = factories growing. Surprises swing the dollar in the London–New York overlap.

● HIGHUSD

ISM Services PMI

Usual slot
~3rd business day monthly · 3:00pm WAT
Moves
EUR/USD · USD/JPY

Services are most of the US economy. A miss here hits the dollar fast.

● HIGHUSD

ADP Employment

Usual slot
Wednesday before NFP · 1:15pm WAT
Moves
EUR/USD · XAU/USD

Private payrolls preview of Friday’s NFP. Sets the tone for the week’s biggest day.

● MEDIUMUSD

US Jobless Claims

Usual slot
Every Thursday · 1:30pm WAT
Moves
EUR/USD · XAU/USD

Weekly layoff count. Mostly quiet, but spikes reprice rate bets quickly.

● MEDIUMUSD

CB Consumer Confidence

Usual slot
Last Tuesday monthly · 3:00pm WAT
Moves
EUR/USD

Confident shoppers spend more. Big surprises nudge the dollar.

● MEDIUMUSD

US Durable Goods Orders

Usual slot
Monthly · 1:30pm WAT
Moves
EUR/USD

Big-ticket factory orders. Volatile headline — watch the ex-transport core.

● HIGHUSD

Fed Speakers (Powell et al.)

Usual slot
Irregular — check weekly · Varies WAT
Moves
All USD pairs · XAU/USD

One hawkish sentence from Powell can move the dollar more than data. Never hold blind into a speech.

● HIGHEUR

ECB Rate Decision

Usual slot
8× per year, Thursday · 1:15pm + 1:45pm presser WAT
Moves
EUR/USD · EUR/GBP

Sets the euro’s direction for weeks. Lagarde’s press conference often matters more than the rate.

● HIGHEUR

Eurozone CPI (Flash)

Usual slot
Monthly, ~month-end · 10:00am WAT
Moves
EUR/USD

Drives ECB hike/cut bets. Hot print = stronger euro before lunch in Lagos.

● MEDIUMEUR

Eurozone / German PMI (Flash)

Usual slot
Monthly, ~3rd week · 9:00am WAT
Moves
EUR/USD

Early read on European factories. Moves the euro in the London morning.

● HIGHGBP

BoE Rate Decision

Usual slot
8× per year, Thursday · 12:00pm WAT
Moves
GBP/USD · EUR/GBP

The pound’s biggest scheduled mover. Split votes (e.g. 5–4) mean extra volatility.

● HIGHGBP

UK CPI (Inflation)

Usual slot
Monthly · 7:00am WAT
Moves
GBP/USD

Drops at 7am WAT — before most Lagosians are at their charts. Check it before your first trade.

● MEDIUMGBP

UK GDP (Monthly)

Usual slot
Monthly · 7:00am WAT
Moves
GBP/USD

Monthly growth snapshot. Small beats rarely trend, but big misses shake the pound.

● HIGHJPY

BoJ Rate Decision

Usual slot
8× per year · Morning, time varies WAT
Moves
USD/JPY · EUR/JPY

Japan’s ultra-low rates make this a yen bomb when it surprises. Intervention talk adds fuel.

● MEDIUMJPY

Tokyo CPI (Japan Inflation)

Usual slot
Monthly · 12:30am WAT
Moves
USD/JPY

Prints overnight in Nigeria. Read it with morning coffee before touching yen pairs.

Help

Calendar questions

What is the economic calendar?

A schedule of major announcements — jobs data, inflation, rate decisions — that move currency prices. Red (high-impact) US news at 1:30pm UTC+1 is the main danger zone for beginners.

How should a beginner use it?

Check it each morning before you trade. If red USD news lands within 30 minutes, wait: no new trades 15 minutes before and 15 minutes after the release.

Which events move my trades most?

US Nonfarm Payrolls (first Friday monthly), US CPI (mid-month), and Fed decisions (8× a year). If you trade EUR/USD, add ECB days; GBP/USD, add Bank of England days.

Are the times exact?

Times below are the usual UTC+1 (WAT) slots. US and European daylight-saving changes can shift a release by one hour, so confirm the day’s time on ForexFactory or Investing.com before you plan around it.

Schedule guide for education only — slots are the usual WAT equivalents and can shift with US/EU daylight saving or rescheduled meetings. Live dates above come from public US macro sources via Xoomar. Not investment advice. Confirm each day’s time on your broker’s calendar before trading.