Trading & signals glossary
What are FOMC and NFP in trading?
The FOMC is the Federal Reserve committee that sets US interest rates, and NFP is the monthly US jobs report. They’re the releases that move the dollar and gold the most: in seconds, price can cover a normal day’s range and blow through nearby stops.
How it works
High-impact releases are scheduled in advance: NFP usually comes out on the first Friday of the month, and the FOMC announces a rate decision eight times a year.
When the number hits, spreads widen and gold can move tens of dollars within a few minutes.
Plenty of traders avoid opening trades right before the release; others trade specifically for that move.
Before
price waits; the spread widens
The release
a sharp move in seconds
Stops
the nearby ones get hit
After
price can reverse
Example: a signal that’s open through NFP
- At 8:15 a.m. ET, a channel posts a gold buy with a $10 stop.
- NFP drops at 8:30: gold falls $15 in two minutes and takes out the stop.
- Ten minutes later it rallies back and hits the target.
- For anyone who followed it, that’s a loss; the channel can still post it as “target hit.”
Our data · Verpips
What we measure in signal channels
- +0.89 R
- per trade, exposed to news
- −0.10 R
- per trade, everything else
- 128
- signals exposed to a release
Average result per trade
128 of the signals we measured were open during a high-impact US release. They averaged +0.89 R per trade, versus −0.10 R for the rest: in the channels we measure, trades exposed to news didn’t do worse, even though the risk is higher. 6 hit their stop within minutes of the release, and 41 were posted right before a news event.
Verpips data as of Oct 7, 2026, measured against the real price. See how we measure and the channel directory.
Types and variations
- FOMC
- The Fed’s rate decision and the press conference that follows.
- NFP (Non-Farm Payrolls)
- The US jobs report, usually on the first Friday of the month.
- CPI
- US inflation: another release that moves gold hard.
- Economic calendar
- Sites that list every release with its time and expected impact.
Why it matters when choosing a signal channel
A channel that posts right before a big release exposes its followers to a move nobody controls. It’s worth knowing whether a channel’s results come from trading the news or from staying out of it.
Common traps
- Posting a signal minutes before the release without flagging the risk.
- Posting “target hit” when the stop got taken out first in the news spike.
- Counting pips on news moves the spread made impossible to execute.
Key takeaways
- ✓FOMC = Fed interest rates; NFP = US jobs.
- ✓They move the dollar and gold hard within minutes.
- ✓Spreads widen and nearby stops get hit.
- ✓Check whether a channel posts right before the news.
FAQ: high-impact news (FOMC and NFP)
What time does NFP come out?
Usually on the first Friday of the month at 8:30 a.m. ET.
What is the FOMC?
The Federal Open Market Committee of the Federal Reserve, which sets US interest rates eight times a year.
Should you avoid trading the news?
Depends on the strategy. With tight stops, the odds of getting stopped out in the spike are high; in the channels we measure, signals exposed to news didn’t do worse.
Channel by channel
See these numbers for each channel, not as an average.
With a free account you see each channel’s result in R, its drawdown, and what it announced versus what actually happened.