Economic calendar

The activity index of the tertiary industry helps to understand an overall picture of industrial activities, inclusive of all business categories in the tertiary industry. The composite index is a general indicator in which the indexes to express the activity in respective business categories are consolidated with weight in terms of the scale of relative importance of each business category (value added). Wholesale Trade is the most important sector and accounts for 15 percent of tertiary activity, followed by Medical, Health Care & Welfare and Living & Amusement-related Services (12 percent each), Information & Communications (11 percent), Retail Trade and Transport & Postal Activities (10 percent each), Finance and Insurance (9 percent), Real Estate (8 percent), Business-related Services (7 percent), and Electricity, Gas, Heat Supply & Water and Goods Rental and Leasing (3 percent each).

Current Account is the sum of the balance of trade (exports minus imports of goods and services), net factor income (such as interest and dividends) and net transfer payments (such as foreign aid).

In Italy, the most important categories in the Consumer Price Index are: food and non-alcoholic beverages (16 percent of total weight); transport (15 percent); restaurants and hotels (12 percent); housing, water, electricity and other fuels (10 percent); and miscellaneous goods and services (10 percent). The index also includes: health (9 percent); recreation and culture (8 percent); clothing and footwear (7 percent); and furnishing and household equipment (7 percent). Alcoholic beverages, tobacco, communication and education contribute with the remaining 6 percent.

The Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices (HICP) is an indicator of inflation and price stability for the European Central Bank (ECB). The HICP is compiled by Eurostat and the national statistical institutes in accordance with harmonised statistical methods. The ECB aims to maintain annual inflation rates as measured by the HICP below, but close to, 2% over the medium term.

In Italy, the most important categories in the Consumer Price Index are: food and non-alcoholic beverages (16 percent of total weight); transport (15 percent); restaurants and hotels (12 percent); housing, water, electricity and other fuels (10 percent); and miscellaneous goods and services (10 percent). The index also includes: health (9 percent); recreation and culture (8 percent); clothing and footwear (7 percent); and furnishing and household equipment (7 percent). Alcoholic beverages, tobacco, communication and education contribute with the remaining 6 percent.

The government budget balance is the difference between government revenues and expenses. The budget is balanced when outlays equal to receipts, the country reports budget surplus when revenues are higher than expenses and deficit when expenses exceed the revenues.

In Germany, the ZEW Current Conditions Index measures the level of optimism that analysts have about the current economic situation. The survey covers up to 350 financial and economic analysts. The index is constructed as the difference between the percentage share of analysts that are optimistic and the percentage of analysts that are pessimistic about the economy. Therefore, the ZEW indicator measures the confidence on a scale of -100 (all analysts see deteriorating economic conditions) up to 100 (all analysts see improving economic conditions). A 0 value indicates neutrality.

In Poland, the core inflation rate tracks changes in prices that consumers pay for a basket of goods which excludes some volatile price items.

CPI median is a measure of core inflation corresponding to the price change located at the 50th percentile (in terms of the CPI basket weights) of the distribution of price changes in a given month. This measure helps filter out extreme price movements specific to certain components. This approach is similar to CPI-trim as it eliminates all the weighted monthly price variations at both the bottom and top of the distribution of price changes in any given month, except the price change for the component that is the midpoint of that distribution.

CPI Trimmed is a measure of core inflation that excludes CPI components whose rates of change in a given month are located in the tails of the distribution of price changes. This measure helps filter out extreme price movements that might be caused by factors specific to certain components. In particular, CPI-trim excludes 20 percent of the weighted monthly price variations at both the bottom and top of the distribution of price changes, and thus it always removes 40 percent of the total CPI basket.

In the United States, Export Prices correspond to the rate of change in the prices of goods and services sold by residents of that country to foreign buyers. Export Prices are heavily affected by exchange rates.

In the United States, Import Prices correspond to the rate of change in the prices of goods and services purchased by residents of that country from, and supplied by, foreign sellers. Import Prices are heavily affected by exchange rates.

In the United States, the year-over-year change in Retail sales compares the aggregated sales of retail goods and services during a certain month to the same month a year ago.

Retail Sales Ex Gas and Autos in the US provides aggregated measure of sales of retail goods and services excluding motor vehicle dealers and gasoline station over a period of a month.

The Johnson Redbook Index is a sales-weighted of year-over-year same-store sales growth in a sample of large US general merchandise retailers representing about 9,000 stores. Same-store sales are sales in stores continuously open for 12 months or longer. By dollar value, the Index represents over 80% of the equivalent 'official' retail sales series collected and published by the US Department of Commerce. Redbook compiles the Index by collecting and interpreting performance estimates from retailers. The Index and its sub-groups are sales-weighted aggregates of these estimates. Weeks are retail weeks (Sunday to Saturday), and equally weighted within the month.

The Global Dairy Trade Price Index measures the weighted-average price of nine dairy products sold at auction every two weeks in New Zealand.

In New Zealand, the most important category in the consumer price index is Housing and Utilities (28 percent of total weight). Food accounts for 18 percent; Transport for 14 percent; Recreation and Culture for 9 percent; Miscellaneous Goods and Services for 8 percent; and Alcoholic beverages and Tobacco for 7 percent. Household Goods and Services; Health; Clothing and Footwear; Communication; and Education account for the remaining 16 percent of total weight.