The retail sales report measures the total receipts of all retail stores in a given country. This measurement is derived from a diverse sample of retail stores throughout a nation. The report is particularly useful as a timely indicator of broad consumer spending patterns that is adjusted for seasonal variables. It can be used to predict the performance of more important lagging indicators and to assess the immediate direction of an economy. Revisions to advanced reports of retail sales can cause significant volatility. The retail sales report can be compared to the sales activity of a publicly-traded company.
Similar Posts
Using Economic Indicators
Since economic indicators gauge a country’s economic state, changes in the conditions reported will therefore directly affect the price and volume of a country’s currency. It is important to keep in mind, however, that the indicators discussed above are not the only things that affect a currency’s price. Third-party reports, technical factors, and many other things also…
Fundamentals of Forex Fundamentals
Traders in the foreign exchange market (forex) rely on the same two basic forms of analysis that are used in the stock market: fundamental analysis and technical analysis. The uses of technical analysis in forex are much the same: the price is assumed to reflect all news, and the charts are the objects of analysis. But unlike companies,…
Consumer Price Index (CPI)
The CPI measures change in the prices of consumer goods across over 200 different categories. This report, when compared to a nation’s exports, can be used to see if a country is making or losing money on its products and services. Be careful, however, to monitor the exports — it is a popular focus with many traders because the…
What Are the Risks of Forex Trading?
Foreign exchange, or forex, trading can be highly profitable, but it also entails risks that are not present in other markets. Unlike domestic stock trading, forex traders are also exposed to currency risk when the value of a foreign currency goes up or down. In addition, forex markets also offer extremely high leverage, which can…
How Do Forex Traders Make Money?
Forex traders make money by betting that the value of a country’s currency will rise relative to another’s. For example, a forex trader might trade euros for dollars if they believe the euro markets are likely to face a downturn. Forex traders can also profit from interest rates—if a country’s central bank raises the interest…
Industrial Production
This report shows a change in the production of factories, mines, and utilities within a nation. It also reports their “capacity utilization,” the degree to which each factory’s capacity is being used. It is ideal for a nation to see a production increase while being at its maximum or near-maximum capacity utilization. Traders using this…