CCI - Consumer Confidence Index

Note that in the USA most indicators are published on certain weekdays, rather than on a particular monthly date (e.g. the second Wednesday in each month, as opposed to the 14th of each month, etc.).

Each indicator is marked as High (H), Medium (M) or Low (L), according to the importance commonly attributed to it.

[H] CCI - Consumer Confidence Index

The Conference Board; last Tuesday of each month, 10:00am EST, covers current month's data

The CCI is a survey based on a sample of 5,000 U.S. households and is considered one of the most accurate indicators of confidence. The idea behind consumer confidence is that when the economy warrants more jobs, increased wages, and lower interest rates, it increases our confidence and spending power. The respondents answer questions about their income, the market condition as they see it, and the chances to see increase in their income. Confidence is looked at closely by the Federal Reserve when determining interest rates. It is considered to be a big market mover as private consumption is two thirds of the American economy.

[H] CPI - Consumer Price Index; Core-CPI

Bureau of Labor and Statistics; around the 20th of each month, 8:30am EST, covers previous month's data

The CPI is considered the most widely used measure of inflation and is regarded as an indicator of the effectiveness of government policy. The CPI is a basket of consumer goods (and services) tracked from month to month (excluding taxes). The CPI is one of the most followed economic indicators and considered to be a very big market mover. A rising CPI indicates inflation. The Core-CPI (CPI, excluding food and energy, expense items which are subject to seasonal fluctuations) gives a more stringent measure of general prices.

[H] Employment Report

Department of Labor; the first Friday of each month, 8:30am EST, covers previous month data

The collection of the data is gathered through a survey among 375,000 business and 60,000 households. The report reviews: the number of new work places created or cancelled in the economy, average wages per hour and the average length of the work week. The report is considered as one of the most important economic publications, both for the fact that it discloses new up-to-date information and due to the fact that, together with NFP, it gives a good picture of the total state of the economy. The report also breaks out data by sector (e.g. manufacturing, services, building, mining, public, etc.)