Central bank speeches and trading automation.
A speech has a date and a time, but not a single moment of impact: the market can move in the prepared text or forty minutes later in the Q&A. Here is when an economic-calendar filter catches speeches, testimony and minutes, when it does not, and how to cover the gap.
The short answer
Speeches, testimony and minutes are scheduled: the date, and usually the time, is published in advance. What is not predictable is their impact, and economic calendars rate them unevenly: one speech is marked high impact, the next one medium or low. SignalForge's news filter only acts on high-impact events.
So the rule is simple: check the rating of every speech that matters to you, and for the ones rated lower, or the ones that run long, block the known window with the time filter. For the decisions themselves see central bank decisions and FOMC and trading automation.
What counts as central bank communication
- Press conferences after decisions. The governor explains the decision and takes questions live. They are part of decision day and are covered in the decisions guide.
- Speeches by the Fed Chair, the ECB President and other board members at conferences, universities and central bank events. The Fed's calendar lists speeches and testimony (federalreserve.gov); the ECB publishes a weekly schedule of public speaking engagements (ecb.europa.eu). Example from that schedule, checked on 4 October 2026: a keynote by Philip R. Lane at the ECB Conference on Monetary Policy 2026, 5 October at 10:00 CET.
- Testimony. The Fed Chair's semiannual testimony to Congress on the Monetary Policy Report, and the ECB President's hearings at the European Parliament: prepared remarks followed by long question rounds.
- Minutes and accounts. The Fed releases FOMC minutes three weeks after each decision (federalreserve.gov), so the minutes of the 27-28 October meeting fall three weeks after 28 October. The ECB publishes an account of each meeting; the one for 9-10 September 2026 was scheduled for 8 October at 13:30 CET (ecb.europa.eu). The Bank of England publishes its MPC Summary and minutes on decision day (bankofengland.co.uk), and the Bank of Japan releases its Summary of Opinions and minutes on a set schedule after each meeting (boj.or.jp).
Why speeches move markets
A rate decision changes today's rate. A speech changes what the market expects for the next meetings, and that path is what currencies and bond yields are priced on. One sentence about inflation, the labour market or the pace of cuts can reprice the whole curve.
The difference with a data release is timing. A minutes release has one timestamp, like CPI. A speech or a testimony does not: the move can come in the prepared text, or forty minutes later in an answer nobody expected. Headlines are published while the speaker is still talking, so the volatility is spread over the whole session, not concentrated in one candle.
What that means for a TradingView to MT5 bot
- The filter window is anchored to the start time. The news filter blocks from 30 minutes before to 15 minutes after the event time on the calendar. A 90-minute testimony keeps going long after that window has closed.
- Lower ratings pass through. If the calendar rates a speech medium or low, the news filter does not act on it, by design. That is correct for most speeches, and wrong for the one that moves your pair.
- Your strategy does not hear the speaker. The alert fires on price and indicators. During a Q&A it can enter right into the headline spike, with wide spreads and slippage, exactly as during a data release.
- Prop firm windows. Some firms restrict trading around listed news. FTMO's restricted list for the Standard FTMO Account is a table of specific announcements; check whether the speech you are trading through is on your firm's list (ftmo.com, checked 4 October 2026).
Which tool for which event
How to set it up in SignalForge
- News filter on (Trader plan and above, details): ForexFactory calendar, high-impact events only, 30 minutes before and 15 after by default. A signal inside the window closes positions in the opposite direction instead of opening a new trade.
- Rating check. On Sunday, open the ForexFactory calendar and look at the impact of every speech, testimony and minutes release for your currencies. High impact: the news filter covers it. Medium or low: decide whether you want a time-filter block.
- Time filter for long events. Block the half-hour slots of the whole session (two windows or the 48-slot map, in your time zone, converted to broker time). Close signals are never blocked, so your exits still work.
- Currencies right. In Auto mode the news filter takes the currencies from the chart symbol: a Fed speech counts for EURUSD, USDJPY or XAUUSD because they contain USD. On index charts Auto mode cannot detect currencies, so set them by hand.
- Fail-open. If the calendar does not respond, the news filter does not block. For the events you care about most, a time-filter block does not depend on the calendar.
- Last line: Prop Firm Shield daily loss limit in $ or % on equity against the day's starting balance; at the limit the EA closes open positions and stops until 00:00 broker server time. It does not apply a maximum drawdown rule.
Checklist
- List the week's speeches, testimony and minutes for your currencies from the official calendars above.
- Check each rating on ForexFactory; note the ones that are not high impact.
- Block long sessions and lower-rated events that matter to you with the time filter.
- Set currencies by hand on index charts.
- Decide what to do with open positions; the filters stop entries, they do not close trades for you.
- Afterwards, check the FILTERED signals in the dashboard to confirm what was blocked and why.
Why TradingView cannot filter news on its own: TradingView news filter guide. Prop firm rules in one list: compliance checklist.
FAQ
Does the news filter block trading during central bank speeches?
Only if the calendar rates the speech high impact for a currency the filter is watching. Ratings vary from speech to speech, so check each one on the ForexFactory calendar and use the time filter for the speeches it rates lower.
How do I avoid trading during a long testimony or press conference?
Block the whole window with the time filter, which works in half-hour slots in your time zone converted to broker time. The news filter's default window (30 minutes before, 15 after) is anchored to the start time and can end while the speaker is still answering questions.
When are FOMC minutes and ECB accounts published?
The Fed releases FOMC minutes three weeks after each policy decision. The ECB lists the publication of each meeting account on its weekly schedule; the account of the 9-10 September 2026 meeting, for example, was scheduled for 8 October 2026 at 13:30 CET. The Bank of England publishes its minutes on decision day.
Can I filter remarks that are not on any calendar?
No. Interviews and unannounced comments have no calendar entry, so no calendar filter can see them. Limit the damage with position sizing, stop-losses at the broker and the Prop Firm Shield daily loss limit.
Does the time filter close my positions when a blocked window starts?
No. It blocks new entries; open positions are not closed when the allowed hours end, and close signals are never blocked. If you want to be flat for a speech, close with an alert from your strategy or by hand.
Macro events cluster
Block the window, not the whole week.
News filter and a half-hour time filter on every MT5 account, from the Trader plan. 14-day free trial, no card required.
SignalForge AI is an order-execution tool. We do not provide investment advice and this page is not a recommendation to trade or avoid any event. Trading involves risk of loss. Calendar ratings and schedules change: check them before each event.