An economic calendar is a key tool for traders and investors, providing scheduled dates and times for significant economic events, such as central bank decisions, employment reports, and GDP figures. These events can greatly influence market trends and trading strategies.

Investors can use an economic calendar to plan ahead for market movements sparked by economic reports. By tracking upcoming events, traders can anticipate fluctuations in stock prices and adjust their portfolios to manage risk or capitalize on expected changes.

Critical events that often impact stock prices include interest rate decisions from central banks, unemployment rates, nonfarm payroll numbers, consumer confidence indexes, and manufacturing data. Monitoring these can help predict market movements.

Federal Reserve meetings are closely watched by market participants as changes in interest rates can affect borrowing costs, consumer spending, and overall economic growth, thereby influencing stock prices. Positive or negative news from these meetings can lead to significant market volatility.

Investors should focus on events that significantly impact the sectors or stocks they are invested in, understand the historical impact of these events, and adjust their investment strategy based on expected economic outcomes. Setting up alerts for key events can also help in timely decision-making.