Why data releases show up on charts
Economic data such as jobs and inflation figures change what the market expects about future interest rates and growth. When expectations shift, stock indexes, Treasury yields and the dollar move almost at once, and the chart prints a long candle in a short time. If unusually large candles cluster at a particular time, get in the habit of checking what was released at that moment. Without knowing the reason, it is easy to mistake a big candle for a change in trend.
Converting release times to Korean time
The jobs report and the consumer price index, both published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, usually come out at 8:30 a.m. Eastern. That is an hour before the regular session opens, so the first reaction appears on pre-market and index futures charts. Because the gap between Korea and the US East Coast is 13 or 14 hours depending on daylight saving time, the Korean time shifts by an hour too.
- 8:30 a.m. Eastern release: 9:30 p.m. in Korea during daylight saving, 10:30 p.m. otherwise
- 2:00 p.m. Eastern release: 3:00 a.m. in Korea during daylight saving, 4:00 a.m. otherwise
- A 2:00 p.m. release lands mid-session and shows up right away on index charts
- Double-check your alert times in the week daylight saving changes
Commonly watched reports
Not every report carries the same weight. Which one gets attention depends on what the market is worried about at the time. These are the ones mentioned most often.
- Jobs report: payroll growth, the unemployment rate and wage growth all at once
- Consumer price index: the headline inflation gauge, closely tied to rate expectations
- Producer prices and the personal consumption expenditures price index: inflation from other angles
- Initial jobless claims: usually every Thursday, giving a frequent read on the labor market
What charts look like around a release
Just before a release, trading often thins out and prices drift in a narrow range while the market waits. Right after it, short-interval candles with long wicks in both directions are common, and the first move can reverse within minutes. The key point is that markets react to the gap between the number and what was expected, more than to the number itself. That is why an index can fall on what looks like good news. Rather than fixating on the first few minute candles, it is calmer to watch the flow after the regular session opens and how the daily candle finishes.
Charts to watch alongside
The effect of a release does not appear on just one chart. Looking at several assets together shows more clearly how the market took the news.
- Stock indexes and index futures: the stock market's first reaction
- The US 10-year Treasury yield: which way rate expectations moved
- The won-dollar rate and the dollar: for Korean investors, this changes results in won as well
- Tech-heavy indexes: widely described as sensitive to changes in rate expectations
Common mistakes
If you do not know the release schedule, you will misread what a big candle means. Releases are sometimes postponed for government reasons, and earlier months' figures get revised later, so drawing conclusions from release-day numbers alone often goes wrong. Getting the time wrong by an hour in a daylight saving week and mixing up US and Korean dates are also common. And rushing to trade on the first few minutes after a release can get you filled at a worse price than expected, because the order book is thin.
Check it with this site's live tools
The world clock shows the current time in New York and its offset from Seoul, so you do not have to work out daylight saving yourself. The world markets overview shows major indexes alongside US Treasury yields, exchange rates and a volatility index, with current values and daily changes on one screen, which makes it easy to compare how different assets moved after a release. The buy and sell signals tool shows indicators on daily candles, so it suits a calmer look once the release-day noise has passed. Prices may be delayed.
Things to keep in mind
This guide explains the link between economic releases and charts as a concept and is not investment advice. Release dates and times can change, so always check the releasing agency's official schedule. Prices can swing sharply and fills can be poor right after a release, so be especially careful with trades that bet on the outcome of a report. Investment decisions and their outcomes are your own responsibility.
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