Economic calendar · All
Interest rate decisions: what it is and how to trade it
The central bank's policy rate, its statement, projections and the press conference that follows.
What it measures
The central bank's policy rate, its statement, projections and the press conference that follows.
How traders handle it
The guidance about future meetings often moves price more than the decision itself.
Price reacts to the surprise: the actual number minus the forecast. A great number that everyone expected can move nothing at all.
Reading it on the calendar
Each event shows an impact level, the previous figure, the forecast and, once released, the actual. Compare actual with forecast, and watch for revisions to the previous figure.
Frequently asked questions
When is Interest rate decisions released?
Fed and ECB eight times a year; others on their own schedules.
Which pairs move most on Interest rate decisions?
Every pair containing that currency.
How should beginners trade it?
Most beginners should be flat or protected before the release, then wait 15–30 minutes and trade a clean break of the release candle's range. Read Trading the News.
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