Economic calendar

In France, the consumer confidence index is based on a survey of about 2 000 households. The questionnaire focuses on: past and future economic situation in France, past and future personal financial situation, unemployment, intention to make major purchases, current savings capacity and expected savings capacity. The indicator is calculated using factor analysis technique. The index is then calculated in a way to measure the current sentiment in relation to the historic index values of the period 1987-2011. A value over 110 indicates unusually high optimism and a value under 90 indicates unusually high pessimism. The value 100 indicates neutrality.

In Spain, the unemployment rate measures the number of people actively looking for a job as a percentage of the labour force.

In China, Foreign Direct Investment refers to foreign capital actually utilized, which is to the amount which has been actually used according to the agreements and contracts, including cash, materials and invisible capital such as labor service and technology which both parties agree to take as an investment.

In Italy, the Manufacturing Confidence Index covers 4,000 Italian companies. The questionnaire focuses on the current trend of order books, production and inventories, short-term forecasts on order books, production, prices and the general economic situation. The business confidence index is adjusted for seasonal effects and fixed to a base year of 2005. The value 100 indicates no evolution in business sentiment, a value over 100 shows increasing confidence and a value under 100 indicates low expectations.

In Italy, the Confidence Climate Index covers 2,000 Italian consumers. The survey is done by phone and assesses households’ economic conditions, employment and saving prospects and expected purchases of durable goods. The consumer confidence index is adjusted for seasonal effects and fixed to a base year of 2005. The value 100 indicates no evolution in consumer sentiment, a value over 100 shows increasing confidence and a value under 100 indicates low expectations.

Mexico's main exports are manufactured products (88 percent of total shipments) , followed by oil and oil products (7 percent), the agricultural sector with (4 percent). Main imports are: metallic products, machinery and equipment (59 percent of total purchases), oil products (12 percent) and agricultural goods (3 percent). The country's top trading partner is the United States (72 percent of total exports and 38 percent of total imports). Others include: China, Japan and Germany. In 2022, trade between Mexico and the United States reached USD 738 billion, with Mexico posting a surplus of near USD 208 billion.

In the United States, the Personal Consumption Expenditure Price Index provides a measure of the prices paid for domestic purchases of goods and services. While the Consumer Price Index assumes a fixed basket of goods and uses expenditure weights that do not change over time for several years, the Personal Consumption Expenditure Price Index uses a chain index and resorts on expenditure data from the current period and the preceding period (known as Fisher Price Index).

In the United States, the Personal Consumption Expenditure Price Index provides a measure of the prices paid for domestic purchases of goods and services. While the Consumer Price Index assumes a fixed basket of goods and uses expenditure weights that do not change over time for several years, the Personal Consumption Expenditure Price Index uses a chain index and resorts on expenditure data from the current period and the preceding period (known as Fisher Price Index).

Personal Income refers to the income that persons receive in return for their provision of labor, land, and capital used in current production, plus current transfer receipts less contributions for government social insurance.

Personal consumption expenditures (PCE) is the primary measure of consumer spending on goods and services in the U.S. economy. 1 It accounts for about two-thirds of domestic final spending, and thus it is the primary engine that drives future economic growth. PCE shows how much of the income earned by households is being spent on current consumption as opposed to how much is being saved for future consumption. PCE also provides a comprehensive measure of types of goods and services that are purchased by households. Thus, for example, it shows the portion of spending that is accounted for by discretionary items, such as motor vehicles, or the adjustments that consumers make to changes in prices, such as a sharp run-up in gasoline prices.

The Index of Consumer Expectations focuses on three areas: how consumers view prospects for their own financial situation, how they view prospects for the general economy over the near term, and their view of prospects for the economy over the long term. Each monthly survey contains approximately 50 core questions, each of which tracks a different aspect of consumer attitudes and expectations. The samples for the Surveys of Consumers are statistically designed to be representative of all American households, excluding those in Alaska and Hawaii. Each month, a minimum of 500 interviews are conducted by telephone.