How Bitcoin reacted to the Personal Consumption Expenditures on 29 October 2021

The short answer

An ordinary reaction. In the 15 minutes after the figure came out, Bitcoin's price swung 1.92 times as much as in a normal 15 minutes that day. For a PCE release, 2.03 times is usual. An hour later the price was 0.44% lower.

1.92x

Ordinary

Trading (volume ratio)
2.85x
usual for PCE: 2.52x
Price at 8:30 AM
$61,387.19
15 minutes later
−0.38%
One hour later
−0.44%
range 1.35%, hour before 1.39%
BTC/USDT, 5 minutes candles around the release, 8:30 AM America/New York

The dashed orange line is the release. Chart data from Binance.

Open
60,394.10
Close
62,070.86
24h change
2.70%
24h high
62,980.00
24h low
60,334.84
24h volume
43,311 BTC

The release

Released by the Bureau of Economic Analysis on 29 October 2021 at 8:30 AM EDT. The Personal Consumption Expenditures came in at 0.3% for September 2021, against 0.4% in August 2021. Prices are still rising, but more slowly than before.

It arrived at the same moment as Personal Income and Outlays and Core Personal Consumption Expenditures, so the reaction measured on this page belongs to all of them together.

How Bitcoin moved

Bitcoin was at $61,387.19 when the figure came out. Fifteen minutes later it was 0.38% lower, and an hour later 0.44% lower. Its high-to-low range in the hour after was 1.35% of its price, against 1.39% in the hour before.

Measured by Clometrix

Bitcoin's volatility ratio was 1.92x, against 2.03x for a typical PCE release since 2021. Its volume ratio was 2.85x, against a typical 2.52x. That is about what this release usually does. Both compare the quarter hour of the release with an ordinary quarter hour that same day, where 1.00x is no change: volatility is how far the price ranged, volume how much traded.

What made it matter

Since 2021, PCE releases in the two weeks before a Fed decision have moved Bitcoin more than those at other times: a median volatility ratio of 2.13x across 18, against 1.81x across 52. This one came out 5 days before the Federal Reserve's 3 November rate decision. Its own ratio of 1.92x compares with 2.13x for those, about what its circumstances would suggest.

Its record

Across 70 PCE releases since 2021, Bitcoin's median volatility ratio is 2.06x.

What it means

Ordinary reaction near a policy decision

Bitcoin registered an ordinary response to the September PCE release and the accompanying Personal Income and Core PCE prints. The price stood at $61,387.19 at 8:30 AM and moved 0.38 percent lower within fifteen minutes and 0.44 percent lower within the hour. The high-to-low range reached 1.35 percent of spot, little changed from the 1.39 percent recorded in the prior hour.

Measured volatility came in at 1.92x against the 2.09x median recorded across sixty-nine PCE releases since 2021. Volume expanded 2.85x, above the 2.55x benchmark for the event.

The release arrived five days before the Federal Reserve's November 3 policy decision. PCE prints in the two weeks before such meetings have produced a 2.13x median volatility ratio, above the 1.81x median observed at other times. The observed 1.92x ratio tracked closely with that pre-decision pattern. Proximity to Federal Open Market Committee meetings has coincided with larger Bitcoin reactions to PCE releases, even when the data themselves remain in line with recent trends.

How it compares

Across 69 PCE releases since 2021, Bitcoin's usual price swing is 2.03x. This one was 0.95 times the usual.

MutedOrdinaryStrongExceptional

Thin line: PCE's usual, 2.03x. Thick line: this release, 1.92x.

Minute by minute

Each row is the time after the release, with the same length of time before it for comparison.

After High Low Close Change Range Range before Volume
1 minute 61500.00 61067.00 61297.87 -0.15% 0.70% 0.53% 346 BTC
5 minutes 61529.60 61047.18 61145.85 -0.39% 0.78% 0.68% 728 BTC
10 minutes 61529.60 61047.18 61159.90 -0.37% 0.78% 0.75% 924 BTC
15 minutes 61529.60 61046.61 61152.47 -0.38% 0.78% 1.11% 1,085 BTC
30 minutes 61529.60 60901.01 60974.39 -0.68% 1.02% 1.11% 1,538 BTC
1 hour 61529.60 60699.62 61116.67 -0.44% 1.35% 1.39% 2,509 BTC
2 hours 61529.60 60699.62 61024.99 -0.59% 1.35% 1.39% 4,450 BTC
4 hours 62980.00 60699.62 62804.12 2.26% 3.62% 1.45% 12,286 BTC
6 hours 62980.00 60699.62 62162.99 1.25% 3.62% 1.75% 15,542 BTC
8 hours 62980.00 60499.00 62804.12 3.58% 3.94% 2.84% 19,401 BTC
12 hours 62980.00 60699.62 62070.86 1.10% 3.62% 2.84% 21,819 BTC

Every coin at this release

Coin Price swing Usual for PCE Reaction
Bitcoin 1.92x 2.03x Ordinary
Ethereum 0.95x 1.77x Quiet
XRP Not measured 1.81x -
BNB 1.00x 1.75x Quiet
Solana 0.84x 1.57x Quiet
Dogecoin 0.72x 1.52x Quiet
TRON 0.83x 1.43x Quiet
Cardano 1.00x 1.90x Quiet
Chainlink 1.00x 1.62x Quiet
Bitcoin Cash 1.18x 1.69x Quiet
Hedera 0.94x 1.51x Quiet
Avalanche 1.05x 1.55x Quiet
Litecoin 1.18x 1.64x Quiet
Shiba Inu 0.92x 1.75x Quiet
Uniswap 2.03x 1.49x Strong
Polkadot 0.86x 1.50x Quiet
Aave 0.91x 1.58x Quiet
NEAR Protocol 1.03x 1.43x Quiet
Internet Computer 0.80x 1.50x Quiet
POL (prev. MATIC) 0.99x 1.60x Quiet
Filecoin 1.31x 1.51x Quiet

What is the Personal Consumption Expenditures?

Personal consumption expenditures (PCE) is a measure of the prices people in the United States pay for goods and services. PCE accounts for about two-thirds of domestic spending and is a significant driver of gross domestic product (GDP). An estimated total of personal consumption expenditures (PCE) is compiled by the Bureau of Economic Analysis as one way to measure and track changes in the prices of consumer goods over time.

Every PCE release for Bitcoin

Questions about this page

Is 1.92x a lot?

For a PCE release it is ordinary: the usual is 2.03x. Each report has its own usual size, and its releases show it.

Will the next PCE do the same?

Nobody can say. A forecast shows the range Bitcoin moved in after past PCE releases, so you can plan for the likely size of the move.

What is PCE, and why does the Fed watch it?

PCE is the Personal Consumption Expenditures price index published by the Bureau of Economic Analysis. The Federal Reserve measures its 2 percent inflation goal with the PCE price index. PCE, Core PCE and Personal Income are released together at 8:30 a.m. ET and share one reaction. Their median Bitcoin price swing since 2021 is 2.03x, which places them in Tier 2.

More questions · Glossary

Disclaimer

The data analysis, forecasted results and projections provided herein are based on historical price action and market trends. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information, these predictions are speculative and should not be considered a guarantee of future performance. Market conditions can change rapidly, and past performance is not indicative of future results. Trading and investing involve significant risk, and you should conduct your own research and consult with a licensed financial advisor before making any investment decisions. We do not assume any liability for any losses that may result from reliance on this information.