| name | economic-calendar-fetcher |
| description | Use when the user wants to check upcoming economic events before placing trades, or when performing a pre-trade risk check. Fetches the economic calendar via web search (no FMP API required) and flags high-impact events within 48 hours. Triggers on queries like "any events this week?", "is it safe to trade before NFP?", "check the calendar", "pre-trade risk check", "any Fed announcements coming up?". |
Economic Calendar Fetcher (Pre-Trade Risk Check)
Overview
Fetches upcoming macroeconomic events using web search and classifies them by impact level. Primary use case is a pre-trade risk check: before placing any significant order, verify that no high-impact event (Fed meeting, NFP, CPI) falls within the next 48 hours. No API key required — uses web search.
When to Use
- Before placing a bracket order or large position
- "What's on the economic calendar this week?"
- "Is it safe to enter AAPL now, or is CPI tomorrow?"
- "Any Fed speakers today?"
- "Pre-trade check before I add to my position"
- Anytime you want to avoid getting caught in an event-driven spike/crash
Pre-Trade Risk Rule
Do not open new positions within 24 hours before a High-impact event.
Reduce existing size within 4 hours before any High-impact event if the position is in profit.
Medium-impact events warrant awareness but not necessarily avoidance.
Event Categories and Impact Levels
High Impact (Avoid new trades within 24h)
| Event | Typical Schedule | Why It Matters |
|---|
| FOMC Rate Decision | 8x/year (Wed 2pm ET) | Reprices entire risk curve |
| Fed Chair Press Conference | Post-FOMC (Wed 2:30pm ET) | Forward guidance = volatility |
| Non-Farm Payrolls (NFP) | 1st Fri of month (8:30am ET) | Key labor market signal |
| CPI (Consumer Price Index) | ~12th of month (8:30am ET) | Inflation = rate expectations |
| PCE Deflator | ~last Fri of month (8:30am ET) | Fed's preferred inflation gauge |
| GDP (Advance/Preliminary) | Quarterly (8:30am ET) | Growth trajectory signal |
| JOLTS / ADP Payrolls | Mid-month | Labor market leading indicators |
Medium Impact (Be aware, manage size)
| Event | Notes |
|---|
| ISM Manufacturing / Services PMI | First week of month |
| Retail Sales | Mid-month |
| Producer Price Index (PPI) | Day before CPI |
| Consumer Confidence / Sentiment | End of month |
| Fed Speaker Appearances | Can move markets if discussing policy |
| Treasury Auctions (3Y, 10Y, 30Y) | Rates volatility |
| Initial Jobless Claims | Weekly, Thursdays 8:30am ET |
Low Impact (Monitor only)
- Housing starts, building permits
- Factory orders
- Import/export prices
- Non-voting Fed speakers (routine remarks)
Workflow
Step 1 — Fetch the Calendar
Use web search to retrieve the current week's economic calendar:
Search: "economic calendar this week [current date] high impact"
Search: "FOMC meeting dates 2026"
Search: "NFP date [current month] 2026"
Search: "CPI release date [current month] 2026"
Also check for surprises or revisions that could move markets even on low-scheduled weeks.
Step 2 — Identify Events Within 48 Hours
From the fetched calendar, extract all events in the next 48 hours. Flag:
- RED: High-impact event within 24h → do not open new positions
- YELLOW: High-impact event in 24-48h → reduce sizing, tighten stops
- GREEN: No high-impact events within 48h → proceed with normal risk rules
Step 3 — Cross-Reference Open Positions
uv run trader positions list
For each open position, ask: is this position directionally exposed to the upcoming event?
- Long AAPL before CPI → rate-sensitive tech = elevated risk
- Long XLE before NFP → less directly exposed
- Long TLT before FOMC → extremely rate-sensitive = reduce or hedge
Step 4 — Check Sentiment Drift Pre-Event
Market sentiment often shifts in the 24-48h window before a major event. Check:
uv run trader news sentiment SPY --lookback 48h
uv run trader news sentiment [relevant sector ETF] --lookback 48h
Negative sentiment drift pre-event amplifies downside risk if the event disappoints.
Step 5 — Pre-Trade Decision
Based on Steps 1-4:
| Condition | Decision |
|---|
| RED (High-impact < 24h) | No new positions. Consider reducing existing. |
| YELLOW (High-impact 24-48h) | Reduce position size by 50%. Set tighter stops. |
| YELLOW + negative sentiment | Treat as RED. |
| GREEN + positive signals | Proceed. Normal position sizing applies. |
| GREEN + mixed signals | Proceed with reduced size (75% normal). |
If proceeding with a trade, place the order:
uv run trader orders bracket AAPL 5 --entry 195 --take-profit 205 --stop-loss 190
uv run trader orders stop AAPL --price 190
Output Format
## Pre-Trade Economic Risk Check — [Date/Time]
### 48-Hour Event Window
| Time (ET) | Event | Impact | Direction Risk |
|-----------|-------|--------|----------------|
### Risk Flag: [RED / YELLOW / GREEN]
[One sentence explaining the flag]
### Open Position Exposure
[List positions from `trader positions list` and their event sensitivity]
### Recommendation
[Go / Size-Down / Stand-Aside — with specific reasoning]
### Next High-Impact Event
[Event name, date/time, what it measures, consensus expectation if available]
Quick Reference
| Task | Action |
|---|
| Fetch calendar | Web search "economic calendar [date]" |
| Check open positions | trader positions list |
| Pre-event sentiment | trader news sentiment SPY --lookback 48h |
| Place protective stop | trader orders stop TICKER --price X |
| Reduce position | trader orders sell TICKER N --type market |
| Check account headroom | trader account margin |
FOMC Meeting Dates 2026 (Reference)
Approximate schedule (confirm via web search — dates shift):
- Late January, Mid-March, Late April, Mid-June, Late July, Mid-September, Early November, Mid-December
Each FOMC has a 2-day meeting followed by a Wednesday 2pm ET decision + 2:30pm press conference. The day before (Tuesday) often sees elevated implied volatility.
Common Mistakes
- Skipping the calendar check before earnings — This skill covers macro events. For individual stock earnings dates, use
trader news latest --tickers TICKER and check for earnings announcement news.
- Assuming a GREEN flag means safe — GREEN means no scheduled high-impact macro events. Market-moving surprises (geopolitical shocks, unscheduled Fed statements) can always occur.
- Ignoring the pre-event drift window — Markets often make their biggest moves the day before a major event (positioning). Check sentiment 48h out, not just on event day.
- Not protecting profitable positions — Use
trader orders trailing-stop TICKER --trail-percent 2.5 to lock in gains before an event rather than closing outright.
- Treating all High-impact events equally — An FOMC rate decision is more impactful than JOLTS. Weight accordingly when deciding to sit out vs size down.
- Forgetting time zones — All times above are Eastern Time (ET). Adjust if trading foreign sessions.
