An economic calendar lists scheduled data releases. Its practical use is knowing when conditions are likely to change, not predicting direction.
The columns
- Previous — the prior period's reading
- Forecast — the consensus expectation
- Actual — the released figure
Price tends to react to the distance between forecast and actual rather than to the absolute value. A weak figure that was expected to be weaker can move price upward.
Execution conditions
Around high-impact releases, spreads widen and slippage increases. Orders placed in those windows may fill at materially different prices than the screen showed.
Check the release schedule before sizing a position that will be open across it.