Economic calendar

The composite economic indexes are the key elements in an analytic system designed to signal peaks and troughs in the business cycle. The leading, coincident, and lagging economic indexes are essentially composite averages of several individual leading, coincident, or lagging indicators. They are constructed to summarize and reveal common turning point patterns in economic data in a clearer and more convincing manner than any individual component – primarily because they smooth out some of the volatility of individual components.

The figures displayed in the calendar represent the rate on the Treasury Bill auctioned. U.S. Treasury Bills have maturities of a few days to one year. Governments issue treasuries to borrow money to cover the gap between the amount they receive in taxes and the amount they spend to refinance existing debt and/or to raise capital. The rate on a Treasury Bill represents the return an investor will receive by holding the bill for its entire duration. All bidders receive the same rate at the highest accepted bid. Yield fluctuations should be monitored closely as an indicator of the government debt situation. Investors compare the average rate at auction to the rate at previous auctions of the same security.

The figures displayed in the calendar represent the rate on the Treasury Bill auctioned. U.S. Treasury Bills have maturities of a few days to one year. Governments issue treasuries to borrow money to cover the gap between the amount they receive in taxes and the amount they spend to refinance existing debt and/or to raise capital. The rate on a Treasury Bill represents the return an investor will receive by holding the bill for its entire duration. All bidders receive the same rate at the highest accepted bid. Yield fluctuations should be monitored closely as an indicator of the government debt situation. Investors compare the average rate at auction to the rate at previous auctions of the same security.

The Redbook Index is a sales-weighted of year-over-year same-store sales growth in a sample of large US general merchandise retailers representing about 9,000 stores. A higher than expected number should be taken as positive to the USD, while a lower than expected number as negative.

The Richmond Manufacturing Index rates the relative level of business conditions including shipments, new orders, and employment. A level above zero on the index indicates improving conditions; below indicates worsening conditions. The data is compiled from a survey of about 100 manufacturers in the Richmond area. A higher than expected reading should be taken as positive/bullish for the USD, while a lower than expected reading should be taken as negative/bearish for the USD.

The Survey of Fifth District Manufacturing Activity - Business activity index. All firms surveyed are located within the Fifth Federal Reserve District, which includes the District of Columbia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and Most of West Virginia. Each index equals the precentage reporting increase minus the percentage reporting decrease.

The Survey of Fifth District Manufacturing Activity - Business activity index. All firms surveyed are located within the Fifth Federal Reserve District, which includes the District of Columbia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and Most of West Virginia. Each index equals the precentage reporting increase minus the percentage reporting decrease.

US M2 Money Stock refers to the measure of money supply that includes financial assets held mainly by households. These include savings deposits, time deposits, and balances in retail money market mutual funds, in addition to more readily-available liquid financial assets as defined by the M1 measure of money, such as currency, traveler's checks, demand deposits, and other checkable deposits. The US M2 Money Stock is critical in understanding and forecasting money supply, inflation, and interest rates in the US. Historically, when the money supply dramatically increased in global economies, there would be a following dramatic increase in prices of goods and services, which would then follow monetary policy with the aim to maintain inflation levels low.

The American Petroleum Institute reports inventory levels of US crude oil, gasoline and distillates stocks. The figure shows how much oil and product is available in storage.The indicator gives an overview of US petroleum demand. If the increase in crude inventories is more than expected, it implies weaker demand and is bearish for crude prices. The same can be said if a decline in inventories is less than expected. If the increase in crude is less than expected, it implies greater demand and is bullish for crude prices. The same can be said if a decline in inventories is more than expected.

Fixed 30-year mortgage lending rates for 80% loan-to-value mortgage (source by MBA).

Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) Mortgage Applications measures the change in the number of new applications for mortgages backed by the MBA during the reported week. A higher than expected reading should be taken as positive/bullish for the USD, while a lower than expected reading should be taken as negative/bearish for the USD.

MBA - Mortgage Bankers Association of America. The Purchase Index includes all mortgages applications for the purchase of a single-family home. It covers the entire market, both conventional and government loans, and all products. The Purchase Index has proven to be a reliable indicator of impending home sales.

MBA - Mortgage Bankers Association of America. The Market Index covers all mortgage applications during the week. This includes all conventional and government applications, all fixed-rate mortgages (FRMs), all adjustable-rate mortgages (ARMs), whether for a purchase or to refinance.

MBA - Mortgage Bankers Association of America. The Refinance Index covers all mortgage applications to refinance an existing mortgage. It is the best overall gauge of mortgage refinancing activity. The Refinance Index includes conventional and government refinances, regardless of product (FRM or ARM) or coupon rate refinanced into or out of.Seasonal factors are less significant in refinances than in home sales, however holiday effects are considerable.

Existing Home Sales measures the change in the annualized number of existing residential buildings that were sold during the previous month. This report helps to gauge the strength of the U.S. housing market and is a key indicator of overall economic strength. A higher than expected reading should be taken as positive/bullish for the USD, while a lower than expected reading should be taken as negative/bearish for the USD.

Existing Home Sales measures the change in the number of existing (not new) residential buildings that were sold during the previous month. This report helps to gauge the strength of the U.S. housing market and is a key indicator of overall economic strength. A higher than expected number should be taken as positive to the USD, while a lower than expected number as negative

The Energy Information Administration's (EIA) Crude Oil Inventories measures the weekly change in the number of barrels of commercial crude oil held by US firms. The level of inventories influences the price of petroleum products, which can have an impact on inflation. If the increase in crude inventories is more than expected, it implies weaker demand and is bearish for crude prices. The same can be said if a decline in inventories is less than expected. If the increase in crude is less than expected, it implies greater demand and is bullish for crude prices. The same can be said if a decline in inventories is more than expected.

Change in the number of barrels of crude oil held in storage at the Cushing, Oklahoma during the past week. Storage levels at Cushing are important because it serves as the delivery point for the U.S. crude oil benchmark, West Texas Intermediate.

The Energy Information Administration reports inventory levels of US crude oil, gasoline and distillates stocks. The figure shows how much oil and product is available in storage. The indicator gives an overview of US petroleum demand.

Gasoline Inventories measures the change in the number of barrels of commercial gasoline held in inventory by commercial firms during the reported week. The data influences the price of gasoline products which affects inflation. The data has no consistent effect, there are both inflationary and growth implications.

The figures displayed in the calendar represent the yield on the Treasury Bond auctioned. U.S. Treasury Bonds have maturities from ten up to 30 years. Governments issue treasuries to borrow money to cover the gap between the amount they receive in taxes and the amount they spend to refinance existing debt and/or to raise capital. The rate on a Treasury Bond represents the return an investor will receive by holding the bond for its entire duration. All bidders receive the same rate at the highest accepted bid. Yield fluctuations should be monitored closely as an indicator of the government debt situation. Investors compare the average rate at auction to the rate at previous auctions of the same security.

Building Permits measures the change in the number of new building permits issued by the government. Building permits are a key indicator of demand in the housing market. A higher than expected reading should be taken as positive/bullish for the USD, while a lower than expected reading should be taken as negative/bearish for the USD.

Building Permits is a report closely watched by economists and investors alike. Since all related factors associated with the construction of a building are important economic activities (for example, financing and employment), the building permit report can give a major hint as to the state of the economy in the near future. A higher than expected number should be taken as positive to the USD, while a lower than expected number as negative.

A monthly report by the Chicago Federal Reserve Bank that tracks economic activity in the 7th district, which is comprised of Indiana, Iowa, Illinois, Michigan and Wisconsin. The index is useful in tracking economic growth and identifying potential inflation. A higher than expected reading should be taken as positive/bullish for the USD, while a lower than expected reading should be taken as negative/bearish for the USD.

Continuing Jobless Claims measures the number of unemployed individuals who qualify for benefits under unemployment insurance. A higher than expected reading should be taken as negative/bearish for the USD, while a lower than expected reading should be taken as positive/bullish for the USD.

Initial Jobless Claims measures the number of individuals who filed for unemployment insurance for the first time during the past week. As the week to week numbers might be very volatile, the four week moving average smooths the weekly data and used for the initial jobless claims metric A higher than expected reading should be taken as negative/bearish for the USD, while a lower than expected reading should be taken as positive/bullish for the USD.

The Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) measures the activity level of purchasing managers in the manufacturing sector. A reading above 50 indicates expansion in the sector; below 50 indicates contraction. Traders watch these surveys closely as purchasing managers usually have early access to data about their company’s performance, which can be a leading indicator of overall economic performance. A higher than expected reading should be taken as positive/bullish for the USD while a lower than expected reading should be taken as negative/bearish for the USD.

The S&P Global Composite PMI (Purchasing Managers' Index) is a monthly economic indicator that measures the performance of the private sector by combining data from both manufacturing and service industries. It is considered a "leading indicator," meaning it provides an early snapshot of economic health (such as GDP trends) before official government data is released.

The Service PMI release is published monthly by Markit Economics. The data are based on surveys of over 400 executives in private sector service companies. The surveys cover transport and communication, financial intermediaries, business and personal services, computing & IT, hotels and restaurants.  An index level of 50 denotes no change since the previous month, while a level above 50 signals an improvement, and below 50 indicates a deterioration. A reading that is stronger than forecast is generally supportive (bullish) for the USD, while a weaker than forecast reading is generally negative (bearish) for the USD.

New Home Sales measures the annualized number of new single-family homes that were sold during the previous month. This report tends to have more impact when it's released ahead of Existing Home Sales because the reports are tightly correlated. A higher than expected reading should be taken as positive/bullish for the USD, while a lower than expected reading should be taken as negative/bearish for the USD.

New Home Sales measures the change in percenatge of the new home sales, A new home sale is considered to be any deposit or contract signing either in the year the house was built or the year after it was built. A strong number would indicate a strong housing activity, and therefore a strong economy. A higher than expected number should be taken as positive to the USD, while a lower than expected number as negative

The Energy Information Administration (EIA) Natural Gas Storage report measures the change in the number of cubic feet of natural gas held in underground storage during the past week. While this is a U.S. indicator it tends to have a greater impact on the Canadian dollar, due to Canada's sizable energy sector. If the increase in natural gas inventories is more than expected, it implies weaker demand and is bearish for natural gas prices. The same can be said if a decline in inventories is less than expected. If the increase in natural gas is less than expected, it implies greater demand and is bullish for natural gas prices. The same can be said if a decline in inventories is more than expected.

The Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City quarterly Survey of Manufacturers provides information on current manufacturing activity in the Tenth District (Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Wyoming, northern New Mexico, and western Missouri). The accumulated results also help trace longer term trends. The survey monitors about 300 manufacturing plants selected according to geographic distribution, industry mix, and size. Survey results reveal changes in several indicators of manufacturing activity, including production and shipments, and identify changes in prices of raw materials and finished products.The survey is conducted during the first month of each quarter.A higher than expected reading should be taken as positive/bullish for the USD , while a lower than expected reading should be taken as negative/bearish for the USD.

The Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City quarterly Survey of Manufacturers provides information on current manufacturing activity in the Tenth District. The survey monitors about 300 manufacturing plants selected according to geographic distribution, industry mix, and size. Survey results reveal changes in several indicators of manufacturing activity, including production and shipments, and identify changes in prices of raw materials and finished products. A higher than expected number should be taken as positive to the USD, while a lower than expected number as negative

The figures displayed in the calendar represent the rate on the Treasury Bill auctioned. U.S. Treasury Bills have maturities of a few days to one year. Governments issue treasuries to borrow money to cover the gap between the amount they receive in taxes and the amount they spend to refinance existing debt and/or to raise capital. The rate on a Treasury Bill represents the return an investor will receive by holding the bill for its entire duration. All bidders receive the same rate at the highest accepted bid. Yield fluctuations should be monitored closely as an indicator of the government debt situation. Investors compare the average rate at auction to the rate at previous auctions of the same security.

The figures displayed in the calendar represent the rate on the Treasury Bill auctioned.U.S. Treasury Bills have maturities of a few days to one year. Governments issue treasuries to borrow money to cover the gap between the amount they receive in taxes and the amount they spend to refinance existing debt and/or to raise capital. The rate on a Treasury Bill represents the return an investor will receive by holding the bill for its entire duration. All bidders receive the same rate at the highest accepted bid. Yield fluctuations should be monitored closely as an indicator of the government debt situation. Investors compare the average rate at auction to the rate at previous auctions of the same security.

The U.S. Treasury has been issuing Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities (TIPS) since 1997. TIPS provide investors with protection against inflation: the principal of the TIPS increases with inflation and decreases with deflation. The Treasury sells these securities at regularly scheduled auctions. Competitive bids at these single-price auctions determine the interest rate paid on each issue, which remains fixed.

The Fed balance sheet is a statement listing the assets and liabilities of the Federal Reserve System. Details of the Fed's balance sheet are disclosed by the Fed in a weekly report called "Factors Affecting Reserve Balances."

Reserve Balances with Federal Reserve Banks is the amount of money that depository institutions maintain in their accounts at their regional Federal Reserve Banks.