Apr. 3, 2009 (Allthingsforex.com) – Three interest rate announcements from the Reserve Bank of Australia, Bank of Japan, and Bank of England will take the center stage in the week ahead.

In preparation for the new trading week, here is a quick look at the most important economic events that every currency trader should pay attention to.

Sunday, Apr. 5 will start the trading session with the first spotlight event of the week- the Australian TD Securities Melbourne Institute Inflation Gauge, a measure of consumer inflation used as a leading monthly indicator of the main gauge of inflation, the quarterly released CPI- Consumer Price Index, scheduled at 8:30 pm, ET.  

Monday, Apr. 6 will start with the Japanese Leading Index of economic conditions, at 1:00 am, ET, and the Euro-zone Investor Confidence Index, at 4:30 am, ET.

News from the Euro-zone will bring a spotlight event- the Euro-zone Retail Sales, an important measure of consumer spending, at 5:00 am, ET, along with the Euro-zone PPI- Producer Price Index, the main measure of wholesale inflation experienced by manufacturers and a leading indicator of consumer inflation, also at 5:00 am, ET.

Notable Canadian economic reports will include the Canadian Building Permits, at 8:30 am, ET, followed by the Canadian Ivey PMI- Purchasing Managers Index, measuring the activity level of purchasing managers in all sectors of the economy, at 10:00 am, ET.

The day will conclude with New Zealand’s Business Confidence of big and small companies, at 6:00 pm, ET.

Tuesday, Apr. 7 will begin early with a major spotlight event- Bank of Japan’s Interest Rate Announcement, expected around 12:00 am, ET.

One of the main spotlight events of the week will follow with the release of the Reserve Bank of Australia Interest Rate Announcement, scheduled at 12:30 am, ET.

Another spotlight event- the U.K. Industrial Production and Manufacturing Output, the main gauge of industrial activity measuring the physical output of the nation's factories, mines and utilities, will hit the newswires at 4:30 am, ET.

The sequence of spotlight events will continue with the Euro-zone GDP- Gross Domestic Product, the main measure of economic activity and growth, at 5:00 am, ET.
 
Two notable economic reports will come later that night from the U.K. with the preliminary estimate of the GDP- Gross Domestic Product, the main measure of economic activity and growth, at 7:00 pm, ET, along with the U.K. Consumer Confidence Index, a survey of consumers’ financial conditions and confidence in the economy, also at 7:00 pm, ET.

The day will end with the Australian Westpac Melbourne Institute Consumer Sentiment, a measure of consumers’ attitudes about the economy, at 8:30 pm, ET, followed by the Australian Home Loans, a leading indicator of housing market conditions measuring the total number of issued home loans, at 9:30 pm, ET.

Wednesday, Apr. 8 will start with the Japanese Eco Watchers Survey of the sentiment of businesses in the services industry, at 1:00 am, ET, along with Bank of Japan’s Monthly Report on inflation and economic conditions, also at 1:00 am, ET.

The German Trade Balance of the difference between imported and exported goods and services in the Euro-zone’s largest economy will be released at 2:00 am, ET.

News from the U.K. will bring the British Retail Consortium Shop Price Index of price changes in the retail sector, at 5:30 am, ET, followed by the German Factory Orders, at 6:00 am, ET, and the Canadian Housing Starts, a measure of new residential construction, at 8:30 am, ET.
                                                 
The U.S. releases will include the U.S. Wholesale Trade, measuring the dollar value of sales made and inventories held by merchant wholesalers, at 10:00 am, ET, and the EIA- Energy Information Administration Weekly Oil Inventories, at 10:30 am, ET.

More U.S. economic data will deliver a spotlight event- the FOMC- Federal Open Market Committee Minutes from the committee’s previous meeting that may provide clues about the Fed’s future monetary policy, scheduled at 2:00 pm, ET.

The Japanese Machinery Orders, a leading indicator of industrial activity, will be released at 7:50 pm, ET, followed by the Australian Melbourne Institute Inflation Expectations survey of consumers, at 9:00 pm, ET. 

The day will end with a spotlight event from “down under”- the Australian Employment Situation and Unemployment Rate, the main gauge of labor market conditions, at 9:30 pm, ET.

Thursday, Apr. 9 will begin with the Swiss Unemployment Rate, at 1:45 am, ET, and the German CPI- Consumer Price Index, the main measure of inflation in the Euro-zone’s largest economy, at 2:00 am, ET.

A notable report will follow with the release of the European Central Bank’s Bulletin of statistical data on inflation, economic activity and growth, at 4:00 am, ET. 
 
The U.K. economic data will bring a spotlight event- the U.K. Input and Output PPI- Producers Price Index, the main measure of inflation experienced by manufacturers and a leading indicator of consumer inflation, at 4:30 am, ET, along with the U.K. Trade Balance of the difference between imports and exports of tangible goods and services, also at 4:30 am, ET.

The German Industrial Production, the main measure of industrial activity measuring the physical output of factories, mines and utilities will be released at 6:00 am, ET.

One of the main spotlight events of the week will follow with Bank of England's Interest Rate Announcement, scheduled at 7:00 am, ET.

Another spotlight event will come from Canada with the release of the Canadian Employment Situation Report, the main gauge of labor market conditions measuring the unemployment rate and the number of paid employees working part and full-time, at 7:00 am, ET, followed by the Canadian Trade Balance, at 8:30 am, ET.

The U.S. economic data will begin with the U.S. International Trade Balance, a measure of the difference between imports and exports of goods and services, at 8:30 am, ET, along with the U.S. Import and Export Prices, an indicator of inflationary trends in internationally traded products, also at 8:30 am, ET.

The U.S. economic reports will continue with the U.S. Weekly Jobless Claims, at 8:30 am, ET, and the EIA- Energy Information Administration Weekly Natural Gas Inventories, at 10:30 am, ET.

The day will end with Bank of Japan’s Meeting Minutes from the previous monetary policy meeting that may provide clues about any future changes in the bank’s monetary policy, scheduled at 7:50 pm, ET.

Friday, Apr. 10 will start with the French Industrial Production, the main gauge of industrial activity measuring the physical output of factories, mines and utilities of the Euro-zone’s second-largest economy, at 2:45 am, ET, along with the French CPI- Consumer Price Index, the main measure of inflation, also at 2:45 am, ET.

The busy trading week will end with the preliminary estimate of the U.S. Consumer Sentiment, the University of Michigan’s monthly survey of 500 households on their financial conditions and attitudes about the economy, scheduled at 9:55 am, ET.