What is Macroeconomic Data?

Macroeconomic data are used in fundamental analysis when estimating the impact of external factors (independent of the company’s operations directly) on a particular company or financial instrument. Macroeconomic data in particular are also used to describe economic phenomena in entire countries or even the world.

 

What are some examples of macroeconomic data?

Among the most popular macroeconomic data we find such as the unemployment rate, inflation rate, information on planned industrial production, changes in gross domestic product or PKP per capita. Although most macroeconomic indicators are objective values, we also often deal with non-objective indicators such as industrial sentiment. These are studied through surveys of managers of industrial companies (PMI).

What is the impact of macroeconomic data on the markets?

Publications of macroeconomic data significantly affect the mood of investors in the stock market. As they affect entire countries, negative macroeconomic information, often contributes to the deterioration of the situation on the most important stock market indices in a given country. Macroeconomic factors in the long run change the situation of any company operating in a given market.

Macroeconomic data calendars

Due to the significant impact that macroeconomic data publications have, the institutions that publish them do so at precise times. This ensures that there is no danger that someone could use the information to their advantage. The most important information is also often published after the end of stock market trading, to give investors more time for related decisions. To inform investors when they can expect the publication of a particular indicator, calendars are created for their publication.
You can see our macro data calendar here.

Macroeconomic vs. microeconomic data

Macroeconomic data, as opposed to microeconomic, concerns the situation in the entire economy of a country or even a group of countries (like the European Union). Microeconomic data, on the other hand, is data on a specific company, for example.

What are the most popular macroeconomic indicators?

The most popular macroeconomic indicators include, for example, the following

• PKP per capita
• gross domestic product value
• consumer inflation (CPI) readings
• industrial inflation
• industrial sentiment (PMI Index)
• investor sentiment index
• import/export value
• foreign trade balance