A–Z of economic indicators

A repeat-sales measure of single-family home-price changes across 20 major U.S. metropolitan areas.

A monthly measure of annual home-price changes across 20 major U.S. metropolitan areas.

Seasonally adjusted US composite survey index; 50 = no change.

A timely survey-based measure of business conditions across US manufacturers.

A monthly survey indicator of business conditions across the US service sector.

The S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price Index tracks changes in U.S. home prices. It is widely followed as a measure of whether residential real estate prices are rising or falling nationally and in major cities.

A monthly measure of the value of merchandise goods entering Saudi Arabia from abroad.

Annual growth in Saudi Arabia's M3 money supply, published by the Saudi Central Bank (SAMA).

A monthly measure of the value of goods Saudi Arabia sells to the rest of the world.

Annual growth in Saudi banks' claims on the private sector, published by SAMA.

Annual change in Saxony (Sachsen)'s state consumer price index, published by the Statistisches Landesamt des Freistaates Sachsen.

A monthly measure of changes in consumer prices paid by households in Saxony, Germany.

A business-survey measure of whether firms expect to raise or lower their selling prices in the months ahead.

A Bank of Canada survey of business-lending practices at major Canadian financial institutions.

The highest and lowest prices reached during a trading session — the two levels most traders are watching next.

The Seychelles Consumer Price Index tracks changes in the prices households pay for a basket of goods and services. Its year-on-year rate is a widely used measure of annual consumer inflation.

A signal says something may be happening; confirmation shows that it did.

An auction result for six-month Singapore government Treasury bills.

Outstanding loans and advances of Singapore's domestic banking units, in S$ billion, published monthly by MAS.

The MAS 12-Week Bill Auction reports the auction outcome for short-term Singapore dollar bills issued by the Monetary Authority of Singapore. It shows market demand and yield levels for the 12-week tenor.

The MAS 4-Week Bill Auction reports the auction outcome for very short-term Singapore dollar bills issued by the Monetary Authority of Singapore. It gives a snapshot of demand and yield levels for the 4-week tenor.

Annual change in the MAS core inflation measure (CPI excluding accommodation and private transport).

A monthly measure of Singapore's official reserve assets, with the calendar variant expressed in US dollars and shown as a month-on-month change.

A monthly survey indicator of business conditions in Singapore's manufacturing sector, published by the Singapore Institute of Purchasing and Materials Management.

A government sells short-term debt that matures in approximately six months.

Slippage is the difference between the expected price of an order and the price at which it is executed.

A short-term South African government debt auction for 182-day Treasury bills, watched for yield, demand and money-market conditions.

Annual change in South Africa's core consumer price index, published by Stats SA.

A monthly SARB release detailing the US-dollar value and composition of South Africa's official reserve assets.

This is the monthly change in South Africa’s composite leading business cycle indicator. It combines forward-looking signals that tend to move before the broader economy changes direction.

Annual growth in South Africa's M3 broad money supply, published by SARB.

South African manufacturing production (Stats SA) — monthly change

South African manufacturing production (Stats SA) — annual change

An annual South African public holiday commemorating the 9 August 1956 women’s march against pass laws, relevant to traders mainly because of local market, banking and settlement schedules.

A monthly measure of the South African Reserve Bank's net foreign-currency reserve position, expressed in US dollars.

Annual growth in SARB's measure of credit extended to South Africa's private sector.

This is an auction of South African government fixed-rate bonds that mature in 2038. The reported result is commonly watched through the clearing yield and the strength of investor demand.

This is an auction of South African government fixed-rate bonds that mature in 2040. The calendar figure usually highlights the yield at which the Treasury was able to sell the bond.

The South Africa R2042 auction is a National Treasury sale of a long-dated rand fixed-rate government bond maturing in 2042.

A South African government bond auction for the R2044 fixed-rate bond, used to gauge long-end rand bond demand and sovereign funding conditions.

South Africa domestic new vehicle sales (naamsa) — annual change

This is South Africa’s regular auction of rand-denominated government bonds. It shows how much debt is sold and the yields investors require to lend to the government.

A Korean government bond auction for 10-year Korea Treasury Bonds, watched for signals on long-term interest rates, sovereign-debt demand and KRW market conditions.

A primary-market auction of two-year Korea Treasury Bonds, watched for won-rate expectations and demand for Korean government debt.

A Korean government bond auction for three-year KTBs, a key maturity for won interest-rate markets.

This is an auction where South Korea sells 30-year government bonds to investors. The result shows the yield paid by the government and how much demand there was for the bonds.

A sale of 50-year Korea Treasury Bonds that gives traders a read on demand for ultra-long Korean government debt and the long end of the KRW yield curve.

A Spanish Treasury auction of 10-year government bonds, watched for sovereign funding costs, investor demand and euro-area bond-market sentiment.

A Spanish Treasury auction of 12-month bills, used to assess short-term sovereign funding conditions and demand for euro-denominated Spanish debt.

An auction of medium-term Spanish government bonds issued by the Treasury, watched for sovereign funding conditions and demand for Spanish debt.

A Spanish Treasury auction of a roughly seven-year government bond, watched for sovereign-debt demand, auction yield, and euro-area rates sentiment.

A scheduled Spanish Treasury auction of coupon-bearing medium- and long-term government debt.

A measure of Spain's annual underlying consumer inflation that excludes unprocessed food and energy products.

A flash estimate of annual underlying consumer-price inflation in Spain, excluding unprocessed food and energy products.

Annual change in Spain's national consumer price index (IPC), published by INE as an advance indicator and then a final figure.

Seasonally adjusted survey index of Spanish manufacturing conditions; 50 = no change.

A monthly change in the number of people registered as unemployed at Spain’s public employment offices.

This is Spain’s unemployment rate from the quarterly Labour Force Survey. It shows the share of the labour force that is unemployed during the survey period.

A regular sale of Spanish government bills that mature in roughly three months.

A Spanish Treasury auction of government bonds with a maturity of about three years.

A monthly CIS survey that tracks how Spanish households assess current and expected economic and financial conditions.

An early estimate of the monthly change in prices paid by households in Spain.

A quarterly measure of how Spain's inflation-adjusted economic output changed from the preceding quarter.

A quarterly measure of how Spain's inflation-adjusted economic output compares with the same quarter a year earlier.

Spain’s EU-comparable consumer-inflation measure, reported here as a preliminary year-on-year rate.

Spain’s EU-comparable measure of consumer-price inflation.

Spain Industrial Price Index (IPRI) — annual rate

An annual comparison of Spanish retail trade sales, published through INE's Retail Trade Indices.

A monthly measure of the gap between Spain's goods exports and goods imports.

The spread is the difference between a currency pair’s bid price and ask price.

A pre-set order that closes a position once price proves the idea wrong, capping the loss.

Adjusting a strategy on the basis of measured results rather than opinion.

Support is a price area where buying interest has previously been strong enough to stop a fall. As price returns to that area, buyers often step in again, so the market pauses, bounces, or at least slows. Support is a zone rather than an exact line, and the more times it has held, the more traders watch it — until it eventually breaks.

A move that keeps going over time rather than reversing within minutes — the kind a trade can actually be held through.

A monthly survey-based gauge of business conditions in Sweden's manufacturing sector.

An auction of Sweden's inflation-linked government bond maturing in 2036.

Sweden’s Balance of Trade shows the value of exports minus imports of goods. A positive number is a trade surplus, while a negative number is a trade deficit.

A monthly indicator of how Swedish construction-sector production has changed from the same month a year earlier.

CPIF is Sweden’s principal inflation measure for monetary-policy purposes. It tracks consumer prices while holding the direct effect of changing mortgage interest rates constant.

Annual growth in MFI lending to Swedish households, published by Statistics Sweden.

Sweden Industrial New Orders tracks changes in new orders received by industrial firms and is used as an early gauge of factory demand.

A monthly survey indicator of business conditions in Sweden's service sector, published jointly by Swedbank and Silf.

A scheduled sale of short-term Swedish government debt that provides auction-based information on demand and short-term funding yields.

A scheduled sale of Swedish central-government bonds that provides information about demand for government debt and prevailing funding conditions.

The Swiss National Bank's month-end foreign currency investments, valued in Swiss francs.

Amount of Switzerland's M3 money supply, in CHF billion, published by the SNB.

The Swiss National Bank's monthly total of official reserve assets, including foreign currency reserves, gold, SDRs and the IMF reserve position.