Trading the news: protecting a position before NFP, CPI and Fed decisions
Updated 13 October 2026
Major economic releases bring the sharpest moves of the day. An opportunity for some, a source of surprise losses for others. Here is what happens at the release and how to prepare.
Which news moves the market
The strongest are the US jobs report (Non-Farm Payrolls, NFP), inflation (CPI), rate decisions by the Fed, ECB and other central banks, and their chairs’ speeches. Economic calendars mark them as high impact (●●●).
What happens at the release
- The spread widens — sometimes several times over for a few seconds.
- Slippage — stops and market orders fill worse than the requested price.
- Sharp moves both ways — price can hit your stop and come back.
- Sometimes price gaps, with no trades between quotes.
Your options
- Sit it out: no new trades a few minutes before and after.
- Protect an open position: move the stop to breakeven if it is in profit, or close part of it.
- Cut the size if your strategy trades the release.
- Trade the news deliberately — knowing the fills will be worse than usual.
No tool removes slippage: a stop during news may fill beyond its level.
Where to see the calendar
MetaTrader 5 has a built-in economic calendar (the Calendar tab in the Toolbox). MetaTrader 4 does not — traders use calendar websites.
News in TradeDeck
The panel shows high-impact news for your symbol’s currencies as lines on the chart, a countdown row to the next one and an early warning (popup, sound, push, Telegram). Optionally: a pause for new trades around the release and breakeven before it for positions in profit. The pause is off by default, so nothing gets in the way if you trade the news. On the phone: a News tab and a push before the release.