The Secrets of Economic Indicators: Hidden Clues to Future Economic Trends and Investment Opportunities, Third Edition

The Secrets of Economic Indicators: Hidden Clues to Future Economic Trends and Investment Opportunities, Third Edition

by Bernard Baumohl
Released July 2012
Publisher(s): Pearson
ISBN: 9780132932103

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Book description

For years, investors, business strategists, and policymakers worldwide have turned to one book to help them translate the massive flow of economic data into knowledge for intelligent decision-making. The Wall Street Journal called this book "…the real deal," saying it "miraculously breathes life into economic indicators and statistics." That book is Bernie Baumohl’s classic best-seller The Secrets of Economic Indicators. Now, in a brand-new Third Edition, Baumohl has thoroughly updated his classic to reflect the latest US and foreign economic indicators, and brand-new insights into what all of today’s leading indicators mean. Baumohl introduces dozens of new, forward-looking economic markers, including those that monitor small business plans, freight traffic shifts, web searches, and even gambling. He also presents several real-time foreign indicators for anticipating swings in European and Asian economies. He explains what’s happened to the global and domestic U.S. economy in recent years, showing how financial crises impact investments, strategy, and economic indicators. New graphics more clearly illuminate how key indicators impact interest rates, bond and stock prices, and currency values; and hundreds of websites containing US and global economic indicators have been updated. This classic book has long been considered an invaluable resource by professionals who need to understand the true meaning of the latest economic trends. With this new edition, Bernie Baumohl has made it even more useful.

Table of contents

  1. Title Page
  2. Copyright Page
  3. Front Mater
  4. Dedication Page
  5. Contents
  6. Acknowledgments
  7. About the Author
  8. What’s New in the Third Edition?
  9. Preface
  10. Chapter 1. The Lock-Up
    1. U.S. Economic Indicators
    2. International Economic Indicators
  11. Chapter 2. A Beginner’s Guide: Understanding the Lingo
    1. Annual Rates
    2. Business Cycle
    3. Consensus Surveys
    4. Moving Average
    5. Nominal Dollars Versus Real Dollars (Also Known as Current Dollars Versus Constant Dollars)
    6. Revisions and Benchmarks
    7. Seasonal Adjustments
  12. Chapter 3. The Most Influential U.S. Economic Indicators
    1. Employment Situation
    2. Job Openings and Labor Turnover
    3. Weekly Claims for Unemployment Insurance
    4. Help-Wanted Online Advertising
    5. Corporate Layoff and Hiring Announcements
    6. Mass Layoff Statistics (MLS)
    7. ADP National Employment Report
    8. Personal Income and Spending
    9. Retail Sales
    10. E-Commerce Retail Sales
    11. Weekly Chain Store Sales Reports
    12. Consumer Credit Outstanding
    13. Consumer Confidence Index
    14. Survey of Consumer Sentiment
    15. Bloomberg Consumer Comfort Index
    16. Google Insights
    17. Las Vegas Gaming Revenues
    18. Gross Domestic Product (GDP)
    19. Durable Goods Orders
    20. Factory Orders
    21. Business Inventories
    22. Industrial Production and Capacity Utilization
    23. Institute for Supply Management (ISM) Manufacturing Survey
    24. Institute for Supply Management (ISM) Non-Manufacturing Business Survey
    25. Chicago Purchasing Managers Index (Business Barometer)
    26. Index of Leading Economic Indicators (LEI)
    27. Housing Starts and Building Permits
    28. Existing Home Sales
    29. New Home Sales
    30. Housing Market Index: National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)
    31. Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey and the National Delinquency Survey
    32. Construction Spending
    33. Regional Federal Reserve Bank Reports
    34. Federal Reserve Bank of New York: Empire State Manufacturing Survey
    35. Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia: Business Outlook Survey
    36. Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City: Manufacturing Survey of the 10th District
    37. Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond: Manufacturing Activity in the Fifth District
    38. Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago: National Activity Index (CFNAI)
    39. The Federal Reserve Board’s Beige Book
    40. The Federal Open Market Committee Statement
    41. International Trade in Goods and Services
    42. Current Account Balance (U.S. International Transactions)
    43. Assets and Liabilities of Commercial Banks in the United States (Federal Reserve Board)
    44. Treasury International Capital (TIC) System
    45. Consumer Price Index (CPI)
    46. Producer Price Index (PPI)
    47. Employment Cost Index
    48. Import and Export Prices
    49. Productivity and Costs
    50. Employer Costs for Employee Compensation
    51. Real Earnings
    52. Yield Curve
    53. Other Noteworthy U.S. Economic Indicators: Credit Manager’s Index
    54. Small Business Economic Trends
    55. Cass Freight Index
    56. Weekly Railroad Traffic (Freight)
    57. Architecture Billings Index
    58. S&P/Case-Shiller U.S. National Home Price Index
  13. Chapter 4. International Economic Indicators: Why Are They So Important?
    1. German Industrial Production
    2. German IFO Business Climate Index
    3. German Consumer Price Index (CPI)
    4. ZEW Indicator of Economic Sentiment
    5. Japan Industrial Production
    6. Japan’s Tankan Survey
    7. Manufacturing Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) by Country and Region
    8. OECD Composite Leading Indicators (CLI)
    9. China Industrial Production
    10. India: Industrial Production and Inflation
    11. Brazil’s Industrial Production and the IBC-BR Economic Activity Index
    12. Canada: International Merchandise Trade Composite Leading Indicators Ivey Purchasing Managers Index
    13. Australia: Consumer Prices Retail Trade International Trade
  14. Chapter 5. Best Web Sites for U.S. Economic Indicators
    1. Schedule of Releases
    2. Economic News
    3. Free Mobile Phone Apps on the Economy
    4. The U.S. Economy
    5. Consumer Behavior
    6. Employment Conditions
    7. Home Sales and Construction Activity
    8. International Trade
    9. Inflation Pressures
    10. Federal Reserve Reports
    11. The Federal Budget
    12. Interest Rates
    13. Money and Credit
    14. U.S. Dollar
    15. One-Stop Shopping for Economic Statistics
    16. Other Useful Economic Sources on the Web
    17. Unconventional Economic Indicators
  15. Chapter 6. Best Web Sites for International Economic Indicators
    1. Calendar of Releases for Foreign Economic Data
    2. Sources of Global Economic News
    3. Economic Statistics from Other Countries
    4. Best Megasites for International Economic Statistics
  16. Index
  17. FT Press

Product information

  • Title: The Secrets of Economic Indicators: Hidden Clues to Future Economic Trends and Investment Opportunities, Third Edition
  • Author(s): Bernard Baumohl
  • Release date: July 2012
  • Publisher(s): Pearson
  • ISBN: 9780132932103