FTMO and trading around the news
No restriction during the evaluation. On a funded Standard account, no opening or closing within two minutes either side of a listed release. This is what their own help page says, read on 9 October 2026, with what it means in practice underneath.
By Mike, founder of MacroSetup. Page updated . We earn a commission if you buy an FTMO challenge through our link on this page. It does not change what we write, and their own page is linked below.
Advertisement feature
Thinking about an FTMO challenge?
FTMO gives no discount code through us. This is our partner link.
We earn a commission if you buy through this link. It does not change what we write about this firm. A challenge is a simulated trading evaluation, not an investment and not investment advice. Many traders do not pass one; read the risk disclosure and how we earn first.
The rule, in their own terms
- During the evaluation
- The restrictions do not apply during the evaluation process, on the 1-Step and the 2-Step alike.
- Once funded
- On the Standard account only. Swing accounts have no news restriction at all.
- The window
- From 2 minutes before to 2 minutes after the release of a selected announcement.
- What it costs you
- Breaking the rule may result in termination of the FTMO account.
- Which calendar counts
- A fixed, published list of events per currency, also marked as a restricted event on their own calendar. For the dollar that is the Fed decision, non-farm payrolls, unemployment, advance GDP, the minutes and CPI.
Source: FTMO's own help page, read on 9 October 2026. Firms change these rules without announcing it, so check theirs before you rely on ours.
FTMO news calendar: this week's high-impact releases
The high-impact releases for the eight major currencies for 2 to 6 November 2026, from our own calendar, in Amsterdam time with the UK time beside it. The ones FTMO's rule names are marked: one this week. Its own list can hold more than those, so check theirs before a trade on a funded account. FTMO's own calendar, with the restricted events marked.
Tuesday 3 November
- 04:3003:30 UKAUDRBA decisionHigh impact
- 22:4521:45 UKNZDNew Zealand labour marketHigh impact
Wednesday 4 November
- 11:0010:00 UKEUREurozone inflationHigh impact
Thursday 5 November
- 13:0012:00 UKGBPBoE decisionHigh impact
Friday 6 November
- 14:3013:30 UKUSDUS jobs reportHigh impactOn FTMO's list, 2 min either side on the main funded programme
- 14:3013:30 UKCADCanada jobs reportHigh impact
What trips people up
- The rule covers pending orders too: a stop loss or take profit that triggers inside the window counts as a trade.
- A position opened more than 2 minutes before a restricted event may stay open through it.
- The dollar events reach further than currency pairs: they also restrict gold, the US indices and the dollar index.
- Because the list is short and published, you can plan around it exactly rather than guessing what counts as high impact.
- The Swing account exists for people who want to hold through events, and it is the cleanest answer if that is your style.
Knowing the window is not the hard part
Knowing which release lands on which currency, and when, is. A rule about five minutes only helps if you saw the event coming that morning.
MacroSetup flags every high-impact release for both currencies in a setup, with the time, before the session starts. This week's events for the eight majors are public on the calendar page, and what the research does with them is on the page for prop traders.
The other firms
The windows run from 2 to 10 minutes, and what happens afterwards runs from a share of the profit to a closed account. Worth reading before you pick your next challenge. All 16 firms side by side.
Questions about FTMO and news
Does FTMO allow news trading?
By FTMO's own help page, read on 9 October 2026: yes in the evaluation, but once funded only on the Swing account. Where it applies, the window runs 2 minutes either side of a release. If you trade inside it: the account may be terminated. Of this week's releases, US jobs report on Friday 6 November at 13:30 London time falls under FTMO's rule. FTMO's help page
What is the FTMO news window?
From 2 minutes before to 2 minutes after the release of a selected announcement. A fixed, published list of events per currency, also marked as a restricted event on their own calendar. For the dollar that is the Fed decision, non-farm payrolls, unemployment, advance GDP, the minutes and CPI.
What happens if you trade inside the FTMO window?
Breaking the rule may result in termination of the FTMO account.
Does FTMO have a news calendar?
Yes, FTMO publishes one on its own site. The FTMO news calendar section on this page lists this week's high-impact releases for the eight majors, in Amsterdam and UK time, with the ones FTMO's rule names marked. FTMO's own calendar, with the restricted events marked