economic indicators
Educational articles in this subcategory.
Glossary: US Economic Indicator Terms
This glossary provides concise definitions of essential terms for interpreting US economic indicators and data releases. ## A **Annualized rate:** A...
Building a Macro Dashboard Spreadsheet
## Why Build a Macro Dashboard Tracking economic indicators requires a systematic approach. A well-designed dashboard helps you: - Monitor data as i...
Regional Fed Surveys (Empire, Philly, etc.)
## What Regional Fed Surveys Measure Five Federal Reserve banks conduct monthly surveys of businesses in their districts, providing early reads on ma...
Financial Conditions Indexes
## What Financial Conditions Measure Financial conditions indexes (FCIs) aggregate multiple market-based indicators into a single number that capture...
Corporate Earnings as Macro Data
## Why Earnings Are Macro Data Corporate earnings represent the profitability of the business sector—approximately **\ trillion annually** for S&P 50...
Industrial Production and Capacity Utilization
## What Industrial Production Measures The Federal Reserve's Industrial Production Index tracks output in the manufacturing, mining, and utility sect...
Inventory-to-Sales Ratios
## What Inventory Ratios Measure The inventory-to-sales ratio measures how many months of sales are held in inventory at the current sales pace. It c...
Durable Goods Orders and Capex Signals
## What Durable Goods Orders Measure The Census Bureau's Advance Report on Durable Goods Manufacturers' Shipments, Inventories, and Orders tracks ord...
Existing vs. New Home Sales Indicators
## Two Measures of Housing Demand Home sales data comes from two separate sources measuring different market segments: **Existing home sales:** Publ...
Housing Starts, Permits, and Builder Confidence
## Why Housing Data Matters for Macro Residential investment represents only about **4-5% of GDP**, but housing is one of the most interest-rate-sens...
Retail Sales and Control Group Analysis
## What Retail Sales Measures The Census Bureau's Advance Monthly Retail Trade Survey captures sales at retail and food services establishments—appro...
Consumer Confidence and Sentiment Surveys
## Why Consumer Attitudes Matter Consumer spending represents approximately **70% of US GDP**. Understanding how consumers feel about economic condit...
ISM Services and Composite Measures
## Why Services PMI Matters More Than Manufacturing The US economy is approximately **70% services**. While manufacturing PMI gets significant attent...
PMI and ISM Manufacturing Index
## What PMI Data Measures The Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) captures business conditions through surveys of purchasing managers—the executives resp...
Jobless Claims as a Weekly Signal
## The Most Timely Labor Market Indicator While the monthly employment report provides the comprehensive labor market picture, weekly jobless claims ...
Unemployment Rate, Participation, and Wage Growth
## Why the Headline Unemployment Rate Is Not Enough The unemployment rate (U-3) captures the percentage of the labor force actively seeking work but ...
Employment Reports: Nonfarm Payrolls and Household Survey
## Two Surveys, Different Pictures The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) releases the Employment Situation report on the first Friday of each month at...
Inflation Metrics: CPI, Core CPI, and PCE
## Why Multiple Inflation Measures Exist Inflation measures the rate at which prices rise across the economy. But there is no single perfect measure—...
Understanding GDP Releases and Revisions
## What GDP Releases Tell Investors Gross Domestic Product measures the total value of goods and services produced in the US economy. The Bureau of E...
Leading vs. Lagging vs. Coincident Indicators
Economic indicators don't all tell you the same thing at the same time. Some signal where the economy is heading **before it arrives**, others confirm...