Rate decision and press conference are two separate volatility events

[Amanhasnoname]

A central bank statement lands at a fixed time, and the press conference starts 30 to 45 minutes later. Each produces its own reaction, and they often point in opposite directions.

The statement moves price on the decision and the wording. The press conference adds tone, hints about future moves, and responses to questions. A dovish surprise in the statement can be reversed by a hawkish remark in the Q&A.

Between the two, the market often drifts in a quiet, uneasy range. That calm is deceptive, since it ends abruptly when the press conference begins.

A scalper who traded the first reaction and closed should avoid assuming the day is done. The second wave can be equally large and trickier, since headlines come in fragments.

Some traders sit out both and return an hour later. Others pick one and ignore the other. Either approach beats treating them as a single event.

Is the press conference traded, or is it left alone after the statement?