Forex Information – Top Five Economic Indicators That Drive Forex Trading (Part 2)
Another economic indicator that is used when looking at the foreign exchange market is the gross domestic product, also called the GDP. This is normally considered the widest and broadest measure of the economy in a country. The gross domestic product represents the total market value of all goods and services that are normally produced within any given country. This is usually measured in the time frame of a year, and not in weeks or months. Using a larger time period gives good statistics on the products and services that are produced in the country. This indicator is not used alone when forecasting the Forex. Usually the gross domestic product is considered a lagging indicator, meaning that is a measurable factor that changes after the economy has already began to follow a certain trend.
The third economic factor that is often used in analyzing the Forex is the retail sales reports. This is the total receipt of all retail stores in any country. Usually, this measurement is not every single retail sale, but is a sample of diverse retail stores throughout the country. This is considered a very reliable and important economic indicator because of the consumer spending patterns that are expected throughout the year. This factor is usually more important that lagging indicators and give a clear picture of the state of the economy in any country.