A good macro workflow gives you a complete picture of market conditions in under 10 minutes. In this tutorial, we’ll build a daily monitoring routine using FinBrain Terminal’s Dashboard, Intelligence, and Fixed Income pages.
The Morning Macro Briefing
Here’s a repeatable workflow for checking macro conditions before the market opens.
Step 1: Dashboard — Get the Pulse
Start at the Dashboard. In under a minute, scan:
- Ticker tape — Are index futures up or down pre-market? Any outlier moves?
- Treasury yield curve — Is the curve steepening, flattening, or inverting? Any change from yesterday?
- Crypto overview — BTC and total crypto market cap as a risk appetite proxy
- US fiscal dashboard — Any notable changes in debt or deficit metrics
The Dashboard gives you a 30-second read on whether the market is risk-on or risk-off.
Step 2: Fixed Income — Rate Environment Deep Dive
Navigate to the Fixed Income page for a deeper rate analysis:
- US Treasury yield curve — Check the full curve shape. Compare the 2Y/10Y spread. Is inversion deepening or normalizing?
- EUR yield curve — Is the ECB curve shape diverging from the US? Divergence suggests different monetary policy paths ahead.
- Central bank policy rates — Check if any of the 12 tracked central banks changed rates recently. Rate decisions from the BOJ, ECB, or Fed can shift the entire macro backdrop.
- Interbank rates — Are EURIBOR and ESTR trending higher or lower? Rising interbank rates signal tightening funding conditions.
- Systemic stress index — Is the ECB CISS elevated? Compare to the 52-week range.
Step 3: Intelligence — Positioning and Risk
Navigate to the Intelligence page:
-
COT positioning — Check the key asset groups:
- Indices — Are speculators net long or short S&P 500 futures? Extreme positioning?
- Bonds — Treasury futures positioning reveals institutional rate expectations
- Forex — Net positions in EUR, JPY, GBP tell you about currency conviction
- Energy — Crude oil speculator positioning as a commodity cycle proxy
-
Prediction markets — Scan for any significant probability changes:
- Rate decision contracts — Has the probability of a cut/hike shifted?
- Geopolitical events — Any new high-probability events that could affect markets?
-
Geopolitical globe — Any new events in key regions? Check presets for Strait of Hormuz (oil), South China Sea (supply chains), Middle East (energy).
Step 4: Commodities and Currencies — Cross-Asset Confirmation
Check the Commodities and Currencies pages:
- EIA energy charts — Are crude inventories building or drawing? Production trending up or down?
- Commodity COT — Are energy and metals positioning aligned with the equity/bond picture?
- Fed and ECB FX rates — Any notable USD moves? Check 30-day sparklines for trend.
- FX news feed — Any central bank communications overnight?
Building a Checklist
Distill the workflow into a daily checklist:
| Check | Where | What to Look For |
|---|---|---|
| Market pulse | Dashboard | Index direction, risk appetite |
| Yield curve shape | Fixed Income | Inversion, steepening, flattening |
| Rate divergence | Fixed Income | US vs EUR curve differences |
| Central bank actions | Fixed Income | Recent rate changes |
| Funding stress | Fixed Income | EURIBOR/ESTR trend, CISS level |
| Institutional positioning | Intelligence (COT) | Extreme positions, WoW changes |
| Event probabilities | Intelligence (Prediction Markets) | Rate decisions, geopolitical events |
| Geopolitical events | Intelligence (Globe) | New events in key regions |
| Energy supply | Commodities (EIA) | Inventory draws/builds |
| Currency strength | Currencies (FX rates) | USD trend, 30-day sparklines |
What to Watch For
Divergence Signals
The most actionable insights come from divergences between indicators:
- Yield curve inverting + speculators still net long equities — The bond market is cautious but equity positioning hasn’t adjusted yet
- CISS rising + VIX flat — European stress not yet reflected in US markets
- COT extreme positioning + prediction market probability shift — Institutional positioning may be stale relative to new information
- EIA crude draws + speculator net short — Fundamentals bullish but speculators are betting against
Regime Change Indicators
Watch for these transitions that signal a macro regime shift:
- Yield curve moving from normal to flat to inverted (or vice versa)
- CISS crossing above 0.30 (entering “high stress” territory)
- COT speculator positioning flipping from net long to net short (or vice versa)
- Central bank rate pivot (first cut after a hiking cycle)
Time Investment
Once you’ve built the habit, the full workflow takes about 5-10 minutes:
| Step | Time | Page |
|---|---|---|
| Dashboard scan | 1 min | Dashboard |
| Rate environment | 2 min | Fixed Income |
| Positioning & risk | 3 min | Intelligence |
| Cross-asset check | 2 min | Commodities + Currencies |
The key is doing it consistently. Macro conditions change gradually — daily monitoring lets you catch shifts early rather than reacting to headlines.