Risk Calendar & Trade Filter

Overview

The "when NOT to trade" skill. Maps dangerous time windows, event blackout zones, low-liquidity periods, and structural market hazards. Prevents entries during conditions that historically produce poor outcomes.

1. Event Blackout Engine

from datetime import datetime, timedelta
from typing import Optional

class EventBlackout:
    """Define no-trade zones around high-impact events."""

    # Default blackout windows (hours before/after event)
    BLACKOUT_RULES = {
        "HIGH": {"before_hours": 2, "after_hours": 1, "action": "NO TRADE"},
        "MEDIUM": {"before_hours": 0.5, "after_hours": 0.5, "action": "REDUCE SIZE"},
        "LOW": {"before_hours": 0, "after_hours": 0, "action": "NORMAL"},
    }

    # Special extended blackout events
    EXTENDED_BLACKOUTS = {
        "Non-Farm Payrolls":    {"before_hours": 4, "after_hours": 2},
        "FOMC Rate Decision":   {"before_hours": 6, "after_hours": 3},
        "ECB Rate Decision":    {"before_hours": 4, "after_hours": 2},
        "BOE Rate Decision":    {"before_hours": 4, "after_hours": 2},
        "BOJ Rate Decision":    {"before_hours": 4, "after_hours": 2},
        "Fed Chair Speech":     {"before_hours": 2, "after_hours": 2},
        "CPI y/y":              {"before_hours": 3, "after_hours": 1},
    }

    @staticmethod
    def check_blackout(event_name: str, event_time: datetime, impact: str, now: datetime = None) -> dict:
        now = now or datetime.utcnow()
        blackout = EventBlackout.EXTENDED_BLACKOUTS.get(event_name, EventBlackout.BLACKOUT_RULES.get(impact, {}))
        before = timedelta(hours=blackout.get("before_hours", 0))
        after = timedelta(hours=blackout.get("after_hours", 0))
        in_blackout = (event_time - before) <= now <= (event_time + after)
        return {
            "event": event_name,
            "event_time": event_time.isoformat(),
            "blackout_start": (event_time - before).isoformat(),
            "blackout_end": (event_time + after).isoformat(),
            "in_blackout": in_blackout,
            "action": "NO TRADE" if in_blackout and impact == "HIGH" else "REDUCE SIZE" if in_blackout else "CLEAR",
        }

    @staticmethod
    def check_all_events(events: list[dict], now: datetime = None) -> dict:
        now = now or datetime.utcnow()
        active_blackouts = []
        upcoming_blackouts = []
        for event in events:
            result = EventBlackout.check_blackout(
                event["name"], datetime.fromisoformat(event["datetime"]), event.get("impact", "MEDIUM"), now
            )
            if result["in_blackout"]:
                active_blackouts.append(result)
            elif datetime.fromisoformat(result["blackout_start"]) - now < timedelta(hours=6):
                upcoming_blackouts.append(result)
        return {
            "status": "BLOCKED" if any(b["action"] == "NO TRADE" for b in active_blackouts) else "REDUCED" if active_blackouts else "CLEAR",
            "active_blackouts": active_blackouts,
            "upcoming_blackouts": upcoming_blackouts,
        }

2. Structural Risk Filters

class StructuralFilters:
    """Time-based structural risk filters."""

    @staticmethod
    def check_all(now: datetime = None) -> list[dict]:
        now = now or datetime.utcnow()
        filters = []

        # Weekend gap risk
        if now.weekday() == 4 and now.hour >= 19:
            filters.append({"filter": "friday_close", "action": "NO NEW TRADES", "reason": "Weekend gap risk — close or hedge positions"})

        # Sunday open thin liquidity
        if now.weekday() == 6 or (now.weekday() == 0 and now.hour < 2):
            filters.append({"filter": "sunday_open", "action": "NO TRADE", "reason": "Thin liquidity, wide spreads, potential gaps"})

        # Rollover period (21:00-00:00 UTC)
        if 21 <= now.hour or now.hour < 1:
            filters.append({"filter": "rollover", "action": "CAUTION", "reason": "Swap charges applied, spreads may widen"})

        # End of month / quarter rebalancing
        import calendar
        last_day = calendar.monthrange(now.year, now.month)[1]
        if now.day >= last_day - 2:
            filters.append({"filter": "month_end", "action": "CAUTION", "reason": "Month-end rebalancing flows — unusual volatility possible"})
        if now.month in [3, 6, 9, 12] and now.day >= last_day - 4:
            filters.append({"filter": "quarter_end", "action": "CAUTION", "reason": "Quarter-end — institutional rebalancing"})

        # Holiday thin markets
        # Major holidays check would use a calendar API — simplified here
        if now.month == 12 and now.day >= 23:
            filters.append({"filter": "xmas", "action": "NO TRADE", "reason": "Christmas — markets closed or extremely thin"})
        if now.month == 1 and now.day <= 2:
            filters.append({"filter": "new_year", "action": "NO TRADE", "reason": "New Year — thin markets"})

        # NFP week Friday
        if now.weekday() == 4:
            # First Friday of month = NFP day
            if 1 <= now.day <= 7:
                filters.append({"filter": "nfp_day", "action": "EXTREME CAUTION", "reason": "NFP day — expect extreme volatility in USD pairs"})

        return filters

3. Master Trade Filter

def should_i_trade(events: list[dict] = None, now: datetime = None) -> dict:
    """
    Master function: combines all filters into a single go/no-go decision.
    Call this before EVERY trade entry.
    """
    now = now or datetime.utcnow()
    structural = StructuralFilters.check_all(now)
    event_check = EventBlackout.check_all_events(events or [], now)

    all_warnings = structural + event_check.get("active_blackouts", [])
    blockers = [w for w in all_warnings if w.get("action") in ["NO TRADE", "NO NEW TRADES", "BLOCKED"]]
    cautions = [w for w in all_warnings if w.get("action") in ["CAUTION", "REDUCE SIZE", "EXTREME CAUTION", "REDUCED"]]

    if blockers:
        verdict = "NO — do NOT trade right now"
    elif cautions:
        verdict = "YES with CAUTION — reduce position size"
    else:
        verdict = "CLEAR — safe to trade"

    return {
        "verdict": verdict,
        "can_trade": len(blockers) == 0,
        "blockers": blockers,
        "cautions": cautions,
        "upcoming_risks": event_check.get("upcoming_blackouts", []),
        "checked_at": now.isoformat(),
    }

Usage Conventions

1. Call `should_i_trade()` before EVERY entry — non-negotiable
2. Respect blackout zones — even if the setup looks perfect
3. Reduce size during caution periods — don't skip the trade, just size down
4. No new positions on Friday after 19:00 UTC — gap risk is real