What is the primary use of economic calendars in financial markets?

The primary use of economic calendars in financial markets is to highlight significant economic events. These calendars are essential tools that provide investors and traders with information about upcoming data releases, government reports, and other important events that can influence market conditions. Events such as employment reports, inflation figures, interest rate announcements, and GDP releases are typically marked on these calendars.

By highlighting these economic events, participants in the financial markets can prepare for potential market reactions, adjust their trading strategies, and manage their risk accordingly. For instance, knowing when a central bank is announcing a change in interest rates can help traders anticipate volatility in currencies or bonds.

The other options mentioned serve different purposes. Predicting stock price movements involves a more complex analysis of multiple factors beyond mere economic events. Scheduling quarterly earnings calls is typically managed by individual companies and is more relevant to company-specific analysis than broader market movements. Finally, while economic events can indeed impact market volatility, economic calendars are primarily focused on providing information about the events themselves, rather than directly measuring volatility levels.