There are no speakers from the US Federal Reserve due today, FOMC Blackout period

The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) statement is due on May 1.

The ‘blackout’ policy from the Federal Reserve limits the extent to which Federal Open Market Committee participants and staff can speak publicly or grant interviews. The period begins the two Saturdays preceding a Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting and ends the Thursday following the decision (decisions are always on Wednesdays).

Oftentimes, Federal Reserve officials will scheduled important speeches just before the blackout period begins in order to guide market participants about the upcoming meeting. In general, the Fed doesn’t like to surprise markets so officials will offer strong hints about what’s coming. If top Fed officials need to adjust market expectations between the start of the blackout and the decision, they may leak hints to the press; generally the Wall Street Journal.

This article was written by Eamonn Sheridan at www.forexlive.com.