France Ascension Day

Info

History

Chart

Impact:

Low

Next Release:

Forecast:

Period: May 2016

What Does It Measure?

France's Ascension Day does not directly measure a specific economic indicator but signifies a public holiday that can have implications on various economic activities, including retail sales, employment, and productivity. It mainly focuses on gauging the impact of non-working days on consumer behavior and overall economic output in France.

Frequency

Ascension Day occurs annually, taking place 39 days after Easter Sunday, and it is a public holiday, meaning economic activity is often limited during this time.

Why Do Traders Care?

Traders monitor Ascension Day as it affects consumption patterns, labor availability, and market sentiment; a public holiday generally leads to reduced retail activity and potential dips in economic productivity. Any unexpected changes in consumer spending or productivity during this holiday may alter forecasts and influence the French economy’s outlook, impacting currencies like the Euro and related equities.

What Is It Derived From?

The significance of Ascension Day is rooted in its religious origins, marking the ascension of Jesus Christ into heaven; trading patterns during this holiday can be assessed through historical economic data showing changes in retail sales and productivity levels. Analysts may review past economic trends surrounding public holidays to calculate expected impacts on the economy.

Description

Ascension Day serves as a reflection point in the calendar, providing economists and traders an opportunity to analyze how public holidays influence not only short-term consumer behavior but also broader economic patterns post-holiday. Given that economic outputs may be lower during holidays due to reduced business activity and closures, this day helps highlight the interplay between cultural events and economic cycles.

Additional Notes

Ascension Day is part of a series of public holidays that can create patterns in consumer behavior, making it a coincident economic measure as it occurs concurrently with shifts in spending and productivity during non-working days. Observing the effects of such holidays aids in understanding seasonal trends and broader economic performance in France and can be compared with similar events in other European countries.

Bullish or Bearish for Currency and Stocks

No actual vs. forecasted values are applicable for Ascension Day, as it is a public holiday rather than a traditional economic report.

Legend

High Potential Impact
This event has a strong potential to move markets significantly. If the 'Actual' value differs enough from the forecast or if the 'Previous' value is significantly revised, it signals new information that markets may rapidly adjust to.

Medium Potential Impact
This event may cause moderate market movement, especially if the 'Actual' deviates from the forecast or there's a notable revision to the 'Previous' value.

Low Potential Impact
This event is unlikely to affect market pricing unless there's an unexpected surprise or a major revision to prior data.

Surprise - Currency May Strengthen
Actual deviated from Forecast on a medium or high impact event and historically could strengthen the currency.

Surprise - Currency May Weaken
Actual deviated from Forcast on a medium or high impact event and historically could weaken the currency.

Big Surprise - Currency More Likely To Strengthen
'Actual' deviated from 'Forecast' more than 75% of historical deviations on a medium or high impact event and may likely strengthen the currency.

Big Surprise - Currency More Likely To Weaken
'Actual' deviated from 'Forecast' more than 75% of historical deviations on a medium or high impact event and may likely weaken the currency

Green Number	Better than forecast for the currency (or previous revise better)
Red Number	Worse than forecast for the currency (or previous revise better)
Hawkish	Supports higher interest rates to fight inflation, strengthening the currency but weighing on stocks.
Dovish	Favors lower rates to boost growth, weakening the currency but lifting stocks.

Date	Time	Actual	Forecast	Previous	Surprise