A–Z of economic indicators

A monthly survey-based gauge of business conditions in the Chicago area, also known as the Chicago Business Barometer.

The sharp, immediate move in the seconds after a release or a level breaks — usually the least reliable part of the whole move.

A price area the market has clearly reacted to before, and is therefore likely to be watched again.

Liquidity describes how easily you can buy or sell without moving the price. Deep liquidity means tight spreads, reliable fills and orderly movement. Thin liquidity means wider spreads, slippage and sudden jumps. Liquidity varies through the day, peaking when London and New York overlap and thinning during the late Asian session, holidays and the minutes around major releases.

Momentum describes how strongly price is moving in one direction. Strong momentum suggests buyers or sellers remain firmly in control and that a move is likely to continue. Weakening momentum, where each push travels a shorter distance than the last, often warns that a slowdown, pause or reversal is approaching even while price is still rising or falling.

Range-bound describes a market in which price moves between a recognisable upper boundary and lower boundary without establishing a sustained directional trend. Buyers tend to appear near the lower part of the range, while sellers tend to appear near the upper part.

A Treasury auction of Italian government bonds with around 10 years remaining to maturity.

A U.S. Treasury auction for securities maturing in roughly 10 years, watched for pricing and demand for longer-term government debt.

A Japanese Ministry of Finance sale of 20-year Japanese government bonds, watched as a gauge of demand for long-dated sovereign debt.

An auction of a European Union bond maturing in 2036, showing investor demand and the yield accepted on the sale.

An auction of a long-dated European Union bond due in 2040, conducted by the European Commission.

A Ministry of Finance auction of 30-year Japanese Government Bonds, watched for long-end JGB demand, funding costs, and signals from Japan’s yield curve.

A Spanish Treasury bill auction that shows the yield and demand for six-month government funding.

Albania’s CPI inflation rate tracks changes in consumer prices using INSTAT’s Consumer Price Index. The release is watched for signals about purchasing power, monetary policy pressure and lek-denominated market expectations.

A candle that closes below its open — sellers finished the period in control.

United States Building Permits track authorizations for new privately owned residential housing units and are used as a forward-looking gauge of future homebuilding activity.

The price at which a candle finishes its period — the standard evidence that a move is genuine, not a spike.

The trades with the clearest conditions: an obvious level, a readable market and no imminent event about to change everything.

A public speech or appearance by Philip R. Lane of the European Central Bank, watched for signals about euro-area monetary policy and economic conditions.

A scheduled public communication by ECB Executive Board member Isabel Schnabel that markets may use to reassess the euro-area monetary-policy outlook.

A calendar entry for public remarks by Isabel Schnabel, a member of the European Central Bank's Executive Board.

A scheduled sale of European Union bonds that reveals the price and yield at which investors are willing to fund the EU.

Headline annual consumer-price inflation across the euro area, released first as a Flash estimate and later as a Final reading.

A move beyond a level that fails and returns inside, trapping traders who acted on the initial break.

A weekly Federal Reserve report on the assets, liabilities and reserve-related accounts of the US central-bank system.

A Fed Hammack speech is a public appearance by Cleveland Fed President Beth M. Hammack that may provide insight into her views on the economy, financial conditions and monetary policy.

An auction of Republic of Finland Treasury Bills, which are short-term Finnish government debt securities.

A retail-positioning sentiment gauge showing the long-versus-short split for selected currency pairs among reporting community accounts.

A monthly measure of German consumer-price inflation designed for comparison across the European Union.

A monthly, EU-comparable measure of consumer-price inflation in Greece.

Arbaeen is an Iranian public holiday observed according to the Islamic calendar, with market relevance mainly through closures, settlement timing and local liquidity conditions.

Monthly change in Ireland's Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices, published by the CSO as a flash estimate and then a final figure.

Annual change in Ireland's Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices, published by the CSO as a flash estimate and then a final figure.

This is an auction of Italian government bonds whose principal is linked to euro-area inflation. It shows how much Italy raises from these inflation-protected bonds and at what market yield or price.

Annual change in Italy's national consumer price index (NIC), published by Istat as a preliminary estimate and then a final figure.

A monthly measure of new dwellings beginning construction in Japan, commonly viewed through its year-over-year rate of change.

A monthly U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics measure of unfilled jobs that employers are actively seeking to fill.

JOLTS quits measure voluntary job separations in the United States and are watched as a gauge of worker confidence and labor-market tightness.

The US trading session, roughly 13:00–21:00 UK time, containing most major US data releases.

Non-Farm Payrolls reports the change in US employment excluding farm workers, published on the first Friday of most months. It arrives alongside the unemployment rate and average hourly earnings, and is the single most watched labour release in the world. Surprises move the US dollar, gold and equity indices sharply within seconds of publication.

Philippines Imports YoY shows how the value of goods imported into the Philippines changed compared with the same month a year earlier. It helps show whether demand for foreign goods, fuel, electronics, capital equipment, and other imports is rising or falling.

A public appearance by Reserve Bank of Australia Assistant Governor Brad Jones that may provide information about the Bank's views on financial-system and economic conditions.

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

A period of the day when conditions typically support trading — reasonable liquidity, no major release imminent.

A Treasury auction that sets the market yield and price for newly issued two-year U.S. government notes.

The U.S. Export Price Index month-over-month change tracks monthly movements in prices for U.S. exports and helps traders assess traded-goods inflation pressure.

A broad measure of price changes for goods and services produced in the United States.

A monthly measure of newly begun privately owned residential construction in the United States.

U.S. Housing Starts MoM measures the monthly change in new residential construction activity, usually using the seasonally adjusted annual rate of privately owned housing units started.

The U.S. Import Price Index MoM tracks the monthly change in prices paid for imports into the United States and is watched as an early signal of imported inflation pressure.

A monthly Armenian indicator that provides a timely broad view of changes in economic activity before fuller GDP data are available.

Australia Building Approvals MoM tracks the monthly change in approved building work and is used as a leading indicator for future construction activity.

Australia Building Approvals YoY tracks the annual change in approved dwelling units and is used as an early signal of the housing construction pipeline.

U.S. Average Hourly Earnings YoY tracks annual growth in average hourly pay for private nonfarm payroll employees and is widely watched as a wage-inflation indicator.

A weekly measure of active U.S. oil-directed drilling rigs published by Baker Hughes and used as a timely gauge of upstream oil-sector activity.

The detailed minutes from Brazil’s Monetary Policy Committee, explaining the reasoning behind the Selic rate decision and the committee’s assessment of inflation and economic risks.

Belarus Industrial Production tracks changes in the volume of output generated by the country’s industrial sector, including manufacturing, mining and utilities-related activities.

An auction of Belgium's long-term government bond maturing in 2045.

A maturity-specific auction of Belgium's government bond due in 2036.

A Bank of England communication event featuring Monetary Policy Committee member Catherine L. Mann.

Measures how prices are changing for commonly purchased food and non-food products in UK shops.

Bulgaria Industrial Production tracks changes in industrial output across manufacturing, mining and utilities, offering a timely view of the country’s goods-producing economy.

A monthly measure of the foreign-currency reserve assets held by China's monetary authorities, expressed in U.S. dollars.

China's longer-term Loan Prime Rate is a monthly benchmark for bank lending, with particular relevance to mortgages and other loans extending beyond five years.

A guide to the European Central Bank's policy-rate decision and why it is closely watched in euro markets.

The ECB rate charged when eligible euro-area banks borrow overnight from the Eurosystem against collateral.

A delayed summary of the discussion and reasoning behind the ECB Governing Council's monetary policy decisions.

A published summary of the European Central Bank Governing Council's discussion behind a recent monetary policy decision.

A scheduled public appearance by Frank Elderson, a European Central Bank Executive Board member and Vice-Chair of the Supervisory Board.

The weekly change in U.S. refiner and blender net production of finished motor gasoline (EIA series WGFRPUS2), shown in million barrels per day.

A weekly measure of the change in working natural-gas inventories held in underground storage in the United States.

A scheduled speech by Federal Reserve Governor Michael S. Barr that may provide context on the economy, monetary policy, financial stability, or financial regulation.

A calendar event for public remarks by Federal Reserve Board member Michelle W. Bowman, whose comments can inform expectations for U.S. monetary policy.

A quarterly measure of changes in the volume of output from Georgia’s industrial sectors.

An early estimate of annual consumer-price inflation in Germany using the EU-harmonised HICP measure.

An auction of German Treasury discount paper with about five months left until maturity.

The MNB rate paid on eligible counterparties’ overnight deposits at Hungary’s central bank.

A yearly global policy gathering that can generate market-relevant speeches, forecasts and financial-stability headlines.

The RBI rate used to absorb overnight bank liquidity against eligible government securities.

The interest rate on Bank Indonesia's conventional standing lending facility for eligible banks.

A quarterly measure of how much employees earn per week in Ireland and how that amount has changed over a year.

A monthly preliminary measure of Italy's goods-trade balance with countries outside the European Union.

This is an auction of short-maturity Italian government bonds. It shows the yield or price Italy pays to borrow for roughly two years.

This is an auction of Italian government bonds around the 7-year part of the yield curve. It shows investor demand and the borrowing cost Italy faces at that maturity.

An auction of benchmark 10-year Japanese government bonds conducted by Japan’s Ministry of Finance, watched for signals about demand for long-term yen debt and Japanese yield levels.

A Ministry of Finance auction of five-year Japanese Government Bonds, watched for demand, clearing yield levels, and signals from the middle of Japan’s yield curve.

Lithuania Industrial Production MoM shows how industrial output changed from the previous month. It is a short-term signal of activity in factories, mining, utilities, and related industrial sectors.

An early fortnightly measure of annual consumer-price inflation in Mexico.

An auction of Norway's government bond maturing in May 2039, managed through Norges Bank's government debt operations.

A scheduled sale of Norwegian government bonds that provides information about government-debt demand and market borrowing yields.

A quarterly measure of how Romania’s real economic output compares with the same quarter a year earlier.

The National Bank of Romania’s monetary-policy decision sets the main policy rate for the Romanian leu economy and can influence money-market rates, bond yields and exchange-rate expectations.

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

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

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 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 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.

A U.S. Treasury auction of long-term government bonds, watched for demand for duration and its impact on Treasury yields and broader financial conditions.

A weekly measure of active drilling rigs in the United States, widely used to track conditions in the oil and gas drilling industry.

U.S. Business Inventories tracks the value of goods held by manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers, providing a broad view of stock levels across the business sector.

U.S. nonfarm unit labor costs track labor compensation per unit of output and are a key gauge of wage-related cost pressure after accounting for productivity.

Weekly net total of Brazil's contracted foreign-exchange flows, combining the commercial and financial channels.

A monthly composite indicator that tracks underlying momentum in US employment conditions.

Public remarks by the President of Germany’s central bank can provide context on inflation, the economy and euro-area monetary policy.

A scheduled public appearance by a member of the ECB’s banking-supervision body.

A European Commission auction of one-year EU-Bills, watched for short-term euro funding conditions and demand for EU supranational debt.

A Ministry of Finance auction of 10-year Japanese government climate-transition bonds, with results that show the yield accepted and investor demand.

Japan Ministry of Finance 3-month Treasury Discount Bill auction — yield at the average price

A monthly measure of changes in the volume of industrial output in North Macedonia.

A regular U.S. Treasury sale of 20-year bonds that offers a read on demand for long-dated government debt.

The completed monthly University of Michigan survey reading on how US consumers assess their finances and the economy.

A smoothed weekly measure of new US unemployment-insurance claims that helps traders assess changes in labour-market conditions.

The annual benchmark revision is BLS's comparison of US payroll estimates with more complete administrative employment records.

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