Economics for Dealers

A practical course for dealers and traders covering the economic indicators, market expectations and data releases that influence financial markets and trading decisions.

About the Trainer

Steve McGann

Steve McGann is a highly experienced capital markets professional with over 20 years of expertise in designing and delivering specialist financial training across global markets. His in-depth knowledge spans money markets, foreign exchange, bonds and fixed income, equities, commodities, derivatives, portfolio management and investment strategy. He has delivered training to a wide range of institutions worldwide, combining technical depth with practical market insights. Steve’s training portfolio covers Bonds and Bond Risk, Commodities and Commodity Trading, Equities and Equity Markets, Foreign Exchange and FX Products, Money Markets and Interest Rate Risk, Fund Management, Derivatives and Derivative Trading, Technical Analysis and Portfolio Risk Management. He also develops bespoke capital markets programmes tailored to client-specific objectives. Before establishing his training career, Steve held senior front-office roles in major financial institutions. As Director of Bond Sales at Chase Investment Bank, he gained first-hand expertise in pricing and selling structured bonds, swaps and options. At Tullett and Tokyo, he established and managed a fixed income desk, arbitraging across bonds, futures and money markets for institutional clients. His work included creating customised hedging solutions for fund managers and institutional investors, leveraging deep market knowledge to align with client strategies. Steve’s career also includes treasury experience within a savings and mortgage institution, further enhancing his practical understanding of balance sheet management, liquidity and interest rate risk. His unique blend of trading-floor experience and training delivery ensures his courses are not only technically robust but also grounded in the realities of financial markets.

Economics for Dealers

Financial markets can react within seconds to economic data releases. For dealers and traders, understanding what economic indicators mean and how they influence market expectations is essential for interpreting price movements and managing risk.

This practical course provides an introduction to the key economic indicators that drive financial markets, with a focus on the data releases most frequently followed by trading and dealing professionals.

Participants will explore how indicators are constructed, what economists and traders look for in each release, and how surprises relative to market expectations can trigger movements across currencies, interest rates, commodities and equities.

The programme also examines economic cycles, macroeconomic trends, market-moving data and the use of economic calendars to anticipate periods of market volatility.

Key Topics

  • Market reactions and forecast ranges
  • Key markets and the impact of economic data
  • Key economic indicators
  • Growth
  • Labour market data
  • Price and inflation data
  • Interest rates and money supply
  • Commodity and energy prices
  • Consumer activity
  • Trade balances
  • Forecasting data and identifying which markets move the most
  • Methods of creating forecasts
  • Market data and data surprises

Practical Focus

The programme bridges economic theory and market practice using market examples and trading perspectives, helping participants understand how economic information can influence market sentiment and price movements.

Interested in attending this course?

Register your interest or contact IFFERMA for further information about availability, registration and course arrangements.