The Economic Indicator Handbook
How to Evaluate Economic Trends to Maximize Profits and Minimize Losses
Bloomberg Financial Series

The Economic Indicator Handbook helps investors more easily evaluate economic trends, to better inform investment decision making and other key strategic financial planning. Written by a Bloomberg Senior Economist, this book presents a visual distillation of the indicators every investor should follow, with clear explanation of how they're measured, what they mean, and how that should inform investment thinking. The focus on graphics, professional application, Bloomberg terminal functionality, and practicality makes this guide a quick, actionable read that could immediately start improving investment outcomes. Coverage includes gross domestic product, employment data, industrial production, new residential construction, consumer confidence, retail and food service sales, and commodities, plus guidance on the secret indicators few economists know or care about.

Past performance can predict future results ? if you know how to read the indicators. Modern investing requires a careful understanding of the macroeconomic forces that lift and topple markets on a regular basis, and how they shift to move entire economies. This book is a visual guide to recognizing these forces and tracking their behavior, helping investors identify entry and exit points that maximize profit and minimize loss.

• Quickly evaluate economic trends
• Make more informed investment decisions
• Understand the most essential indicators
• Translate predictions into profitable actions

Savvy market participants know how critical certain indicators are to the formulation of a profitable, effective market strategy. A daily indicator check can inform day-to-day investing, and long-term tracking can result in a stronger, more robust portfolio. For the investor who knows that better information leads to better outcomes, The Economic Indicator Handbook is an exceptionally useful resource.

Acknowledgments ix

About the Author xi

Chapter 1 The Daily Blotter 1

Chapter 2 The Business Cycle 17

Chapter 3 Gross Domestic Product (GDP) 37

Chapter 4 The Labor Market and Employment 69

Chapter 5 Retail Sales 105

Chapter 6 National Federation of Independent Businesses (NFIB) Small Business Economic Trends 133

Chapter 7 Personal Income and Outlays 157

Chapter 8 Housing and Construction 183

Chapter 9 Manufacturing 207

Chapter 10 Prices and Inflation 237

Chapter 11 Confidence and Sentiment 263

Chapter 12 The Federal Reserve 291

Sources and Additional Reading 321

Index 327

RICHARD YAMARONE is a Bloomberg Senior Economist with more than three decades of experience with monetary and fiscal policy, economic indicators, fixed income, commodities, and general macroeconomic conditions. He is creator of the Bloomberg Orange Book as well as author of Trader’s Guide to Key Economic Indicators. During his career, he has received numerous accolades for his work, including landing on USA Today’s top-ten list of economists and being named “Nostradamus of the Financial Industry” by Bank Advisor for predicting the financial crisis.