News and the economic calendar: what moves markets, and when to stay out
In this lesson you'll learn
- Which releases move markets most
- How to read a calendar entry: forecast, previous, actual
- How to protect trades around news
The big releases
- Central-bank decisions (Fed, ECB, Bank of England, Bank of Japan) and their press conferences.
- Inflation (CPI, PCE).
- Jobs (US Non-Farm Payrolls, unemployment).
- Growth (GDP, PMIs), retail sales.
US releases move almost everything, because the dollar is on one side of most trades and gold is priced in dollars.
Reading the calendar
Each entry shows forecast (what economists expect), previous and actual. Markets move on the surprise: actual versus forecast. A "good" number can still drop a currency if it was less good than expected.
What happens around news
- Spreads widen, sometimes many times normal.
- Stops can fill with slippage.
- The first move often reverses within minutes.
Protecting yourself
- Check the calendar every morning; note high-impact events for your symbols.
- Avoid opening trades 15–30 minutes before big releases.
- For open trades, decide in advance: close, reduce, or keep with a stop you accept may slip.
- Never hold a position you couldn't afford to see gap past its stop.
Common mistakes
- Not checking the calendar before trading.
- Opening a trade one minute before CPI.
- Assuming a stop loss is guaranteed during news.
How this works when you copy trades
Goldman Copier's Telegram signal settings can skip new signals for a set time around high-impact news on the symbol's currencies.
Check yourself
1. Markets mostly move on…
2. Around big news, spreads usually…
3. A sensible rule before high-impact news is…
Key takeaways
- Know the big releases and check the calendar daily.
- Markets react to surprises, not to numbers.
- Avoid new trades just before major news; expect wider spreads.
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Education, not advice. Goldman Academy teaches how markets and tools work. Nothing here is a recommendation to buy or sell, and no lesson promises profits. Trading leveraged products carries a high risk of losing money; only trade money you can afford to lose. · Written by Goldman Academy, reviewed by Faisal