Forex Economic Calendar 2026

Q: What is the forex economic calendar?

The forex economic calendar lists scheduled macroeconomic news releases and central bank events that move currency prices. High-impact events like NFP, FOMC rate decisions, and CPI prints can cause sharp price movements in seconds. Traders use the calendar to plan positions, widen stops around news, or stay flat until volatility settles.

Q: Which economic events move XAUUSD (gold) the most?

The biggest movers for XAUUSD are: US Non-Farm Payrolls (NFP) — gold typically moves 150-300 pips on NFP surprise; FOMC rate decisions and press conferences — rate hike expectations weaken gold, cuts strengthen it; US CPI inflation data — higher-than-expected CPI pushes gold up on real-rate fears; US Dollar Index (DXY) events — gold moves inversely to the dollar, so any USD-moving event affects gold; and geopolitical risk events, which can cause sudden gold spikes. All are marked as high-impact on the economic calendar.

Q: What do high, medium, and low impact mean on the economic calendar?

High impact (red) means the data release historically causes significant price movement across major pairs — expect 50-200+ pip moves on surprise readings. Examples: NFP, FOMC, CPI, GDP. Medium impact (orange) means the release can move prices but the effect is usually contained or depends on the broader context. Low impact (yellow) releases rarely cause meaningful price movement and are generally safe to trade through. Most prop firm traders focus only on high-impact events for risk management decisions.

Q: Should I trade during high-impact news events?

Most prop firm challenge traders avoid opening new positions 15-30 minutes before and after high-impact events. Spreads widen sharply, slippage is common, and stop losses may not execute at the expected price. If you hold positions through news, reduce your size to half or less. ICT methodology specifically teaches news as a liquidity event — price often sweeps a level before reversing, so waiting for the post-news candle to close before entering is a valid approach.

Q: How do I log news events in my trading journal?

In TradeJournal, add the news event name to your trade notes when you open or close a position near a high-impact release. This lets the AI psychology feature detect patterns like news-driven revenge trading or consistent under-performance on NFP weeks. You can also tag the trade with the relevant setup (e.g., Liquidity Sweep + news rejection) to track how your ICT setups perform in high-volatility conditions versus normal sessions.

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Economic Calendar

Filter by currency and impact level

Currency / Pair

Impact Level

Time CCY Event

Actual Forecast Previous

Times shown in your local timezone · Data via TradingView

How to Read the Columns

Last released value for this indicator.

Forecast

Analyst consensus expectation before release.

Actual

Real value published. Green = beat forecast, red = missed.

💡 Signal

See the Market Signal Guide below for what each result means.

💡 Market Signal Guide

What each data release result typically signals for currency pairs and gold. Signals assume all other conditions are equal.

Event	Currency	Actual > Forecast ↑	Actual < Forecast ↓	Gold (XAUUSD) Signal
NFP (Non-Farm Payrolls)	USD	Bullish USD — strong jobs growth supports rate hike bets	Bearish USD — weak jobs = dovish Fed pressure	Beat → Bearish Gold (USD rises, gold falls). Miss → Bullish Gold
CPI (Inflation)	USD	Bullish USD — hotter inflation, more rate hikes expected	Bearish USD — cooling inflation, Fed may pause	Hot CPI → Bullish Gold (inflation hedge). Cool CPI → Bearish Gold
FOMC Rate Decision	USD	Bullish USD — rate hike or hawkish language	Bearish USD — rate cut or dovish pivot	Hike → Bearish Gold (real yields rise). Cut → Strong Bullish Gold
GDP (Growth)	USD	Bullish USD — strong economy = higher rates	Bearish USD — recession fears rise	Strong GDP → Bearish Gold. Weak GDP → Bullish Gold (safe haven)
BoE Rate Decision	GBP	Bullish GBP — hike or hawkish vote split	Bearish GBP — cut or dovish majority	Indirect effect via USD cross flows. Monitor GBP/USD for confirmation.
ECB Rate Decision	EUR	Bullish EUR — hike or hawkish guidance	Bearish EUR — cut or dovish tone	Hawkish ECB → EUR rises → USD weakens → Mild Bullish Gold
PPI (Producer Prices)	USD	Bullish USD — leading indicator of future CPI heat	Bearish USD — producer deflation signals future CPI drop	Hot PPI leads to hot CPI expectations → Bullish Gold on inflation fears
Retail Sales	USD	Bullish USD — strong consumer spending = healthy economy	Bearish USD — weak consumer, slowdown fears	Strong sales → risk-on, USD up → Bearish Gold. Weak → Bullish Gold
ISM PMI	USD	Bullish USD if above 50 (expansion)	Bearish USD if below 50 (contraction)	Sub-50 PMI raises recession fears → Safe-Haven Gold demand rises
Unemployment Rate	USD	Bearish USD if rate rises (worse than expected)	Bullish USD if rate falls (better than expected)	Rising unemployment → Fed dovish → Bullish Gold. Falling → Bearish Gold

Signals reflect typical historical reaction, not guaranteed outcome. Always confirm with price action before trading.

How to Read the Calendar

High Impact

Historically causes 50-200+ pip moves on major pairs. NFP, FOMC, CPI, GDP and interest rate decisions fall here. Avoid opening new positions 15-30 min before these releases unless your strategy accounts for news volatility.

Medium Impact

Can move prices but the effect is usually limited or context-dependent. ISM PMI, retail sales and housing data often land here. Worth monitoring but typically safe to hold through for prop firm traders.

Low Impact

Rarely causes meaningful price action. Most traders ignore these and trade normally through them. The data still gets logged in the historical record but almost never triggers a liquidity sweep or displacement.

Actual vs Forecast

The move size depends on how much the actual number beats or misses the forecast. A result in line with expectations often reverses quickly after the initial spike. The direction of the surprise matters more than the absolute reading.

High-Impact Events for Forex and Gold Traders

These are the releases that move XAUUSD and major forex pairs most reliably. Plan your prop firm trading weeks around them.

Event	Currency	Impact	What to Expect
Non-Farm Payrolls (NFP) First Friday of the month, 8:30 AM ET	USD	High	Gold typically moves 150-300 pips on surprise readings. A strong jobs number strengthens USD and pressures gold. A miss weakens USD and can spike gold above key resistance levels.
FOMC Rate Decision + Press Conference 8 meetings per year, 2:00 PM ET	USD	High	Rate hikes or hawkish language strengthen USD and weaken gold. Rate cuts or dovish pivots are the single largest catalyst for gold rallies. The press conference often creates a second volatility spike 30 min after the decision.
US CPI (Consumer Price Index) Monthly, 8:30 AM ET	USD	High	Hotter-than-expected CPI pushes gold up on real interest rate fears and USD selling. Cooler CPI prints can briefly strengthen USD and dip gold before buying resumes.
US GDP (Advance, Preliminary, Final) Quarterly, 8:30 AM ET	USD	High	Strong GDP growth strengthens USD and can cap gold gains. GDP misses increase recession fears and typically benefit gold as a safe-haven asset.
Bank of England Rate Decision 8 meetings per year, 12:00 PM GMT	GBP	High	Primarily moves GBP/USD and EUR/GBP. Cross-pair flows can affect gold indirectly through USD correlation. Watch the vote split and forward guidance for the real move direction.
ECB Rate Decision 8 meetings per year, 2:15 PM CET	EUR	High	Moves EUR/USD strongly. Dovish ECB weakens EUR and can strengthen USD, which may pressure gold. Hawkish surprises from the ECB can cause USD weakness that lifts gold.
ISM Manufacturing PMI First business day of month, 10:00 AM ET	USD	Medium	A reading below 50 signals contraction and can weaken USD, supporting gold. Readings consistently above 50 signal expansion and can add to rate-hike expectations.
US Retail Sales Monthly, 8:30 AM ET	USD	Medium	Strong retail sales signal consumer strength and can lift USD. Weak data increases recession risk, which tends to benefit gold. Often causes a 50-100 pip move on GBP/USD and EUR/USD.

How to Use This Calendar With Your Trading Journal

Most prop firm traders who fail do so on high-impact news days. These four steps help you use the calendar to protect your challenge.

Check the week ahead every Sunday

Before the trading week opens, scan the calendar for all red (high-impact) events. Note the date, time, and currency pair affected. Mark the days where you will reduce size or stay flat.

Set a news buffer rule

Decide in advance: no new entries within 15 minutes of a red event, and no open positions within 5 minutes. Log this rule in your TradeJournal plan so the AI can flag violations in your trade notes.

Tag news context on every trade

When you open a position near a news window, add the event name to your trade notes — for example "FOMC day, waiting for post-press conference candle." This lets you analyse news-day performance separately over time.

Review news-day trades weekly

Filter your TradeJournal history by trades logged on NFP, FOMC, and CPI dates. If your win rate on news days is below your average, the data tells you to stop trading those windows entirely.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the forex economic calendar?

The forex economic calendar lists scheduled macroeconomic news releases and central bank events that move currency prices. High-impact events like NFP, FOMC rate decisions, and CPI prints can cause sharp price movements in seconds. Traders use the calendar to plan positions, widen stops around news, or stay flat until volatility settles.

Which economic events move XAUUSD (gold) the most?

The biggest movers for XAUUSD are: US Non-Farm Payrolls — gold typically moves 150-300 pips on NFP surprise; FOMC rate decisions and press conferences — rate hike expectations weaken gold, cuts strengthen it; US CPI inflation data — higher-than-expected CPI pushes gold up on real-rate fears; and geopolitical risk events, which can cause sudden gold spikes. All are marked as high-impact on the calendar above.

What do high, medium, and low impact mean on the economic calendar?

High impact (red) means the data release historically causes significant price movement across major pairs — expect 50-200+ pip moves on surprise readings. Examples: NFP, FOMC, CPI, GDP. Medium impact (orange) means the release can move prices but the effect is usually contained or depends on the broader context. Low impact (yellow) releases rarely cause meaningful price movement and are generally safe to trade through.

Should I trade during high-impact news events?

Most prop firm challenge traders avoid opening new positions 15-30 minutes before and after high-impact events. Spreads widen sharply, slippage is common, and stop losses may not execute at the expected price. If you hold positions through news, reduce your size to half or less. ICT methodology teaches news as a liquidity event — price often sweeps a level before reversing, so waiting for the post-news candle to close before entering is a valid approach.

How do I log news events in my trading journal?

In TradeJournal, add the news event name to your trade notes when you open or close a position near a high-impact release. This lets the AI psychology feature detect patterns like news-driven revenge trading or consistent under-performance on NFP weeks. You can also tag the trade with the relevant setup to track how your ICT entries perform in high-volatility conditions versus normal sessions.

What timezone does the economic calendar use?

The ForexFactory calendar above displays in your local browser timezone by default. You can change it to EST, GMT, or any other timezone in the ForexFactory settings (gear icon on the calendar). Most traders work in EST or GMT when referencing US news releases to stay consistent with institutional market hours.

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Import your MT5 history, tag trades with the news event, and let TradeJournal's AI tell you whether you should be trading NFP days at all. Free forever — no credit card.

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Related guides

Learn how to use news data alongside your trading journal.

Forex Economic Calendar2026