The Leading National Economic Indicators

This index tracks the global prices of dry bulk shipping and thus measures the demand for shipping. Dry bulk cargo is essentially raw materials for production, and thus the index indicates future global economic growth.

Case-Shiller Home Price Indices

Updated: March 5, 2010

This is a home price index that indicates the strength of the housing market in 20 metro regions across the US.

Census

Updated: March 5, 2010

The US Census publishes indicators many of which are relevant to real estate as well as to the economy in general.

Consumer Price Index

Updated: March 5, 2010

The Consumer Price Index show the cost of a basket of goods in the US. An upward trend shows inflation, and a downward trend shows deflation.

Consumer Sentiment Index

Updated: March 5, 2010

This is an survey taken by the University of Michigan which measures consumer sentiment (i.e., current attitude toward spending money on consumption). It is an indicator of the strength of the economy.

Copper

Updated: March 5, 2010

The price of copper is seen as an accurate indicator of the global economy. The higher the price, the more copper is used in production, and the better the economy.

Corporate Bond Yield

Updated: March 5, 2010

High grade corporate bonds yields are important to note because many institutional investors invest in real estate properties, such as high quality office building and shopping centers, as a bond substitute. They do so for the purpose of diversification and because such real estate seems to often have comparable yields (capitalization rates).

Crude Oil

Updated: March 5, 2010

The price of crude oil is an indicator of the short-term future prices of petroleum products such as gasoline.

Federal Discount Rate

Updated: March 5, 2010

This is the interest rate that the Federal Reserve charges banks to loan them money short term. The rate is set by the Federal Reserve, is higher than the federal funds rate, and is considered a last resort for banks needing short-term funds.

Federal Funds Rate

Updated: March 5, 2010

This is the interest rate at which banks loan funds to other banks (overnight) through the Federal Reserve. The rate is set, in effect, by the Federal Reserve and influences interest rates throughout the US economy.

Gold

Updated: March 5, 2010

The price of gold is taken as an indicator of the value and stability of the dollar. As such, it normally rises and falls inversely to the US dollar index. As such, it is perceived as a long-term economic indicator. However, it is also a commodity and may rise and fall with other commodity prices.

Gross Domestic Product

Updated: March 5, 2010

This is the sum of all economic activity in the US economy. It is thought that the GDP must grow in order to have a healthy economy.

Inflation Rate

Updated: March 5, 2010

The inflation rate charts the annual rate of inflation or deflation in the US over the years.

ISM Purchasing Managers Index

Updated: March 5, 2010

This is used as an indicator of whether the economy is expanding or contracting. A number above 50% indicates expansion and below 50% contraction.

Monetary Base

Updated: March 5, 2010

This is the amount of money in the US economy. It includes currency, commercial bank reserves, and certain bank deposits at its narrowest definition (M0). It includes the public's private bank deposits in broader definitions (e.g., M2). Keep in mind that M2 it also includes bank loans. When a bank loans money, it creates money out of thin air by creating a deposit credit in the borrower's bank account; this is the credit component of the money supply. An overly large money supply is thought to be the cause of inflation. However, when private credit grows to a huge amount and then contracts (as loans are paid off), the currency can be expanded dramatically without causing inflation in the short term.

Residential Real Estate Indicators

Updated: March 5, 2010

The mean and average prices and volume of sales of US housing indicates the strength of the US housing market and home construction.

Shadow Stats

Updated: March 5, 2010

The government has revised the procedures for gathering and presenting statistics enough times that many people no longer trust many of the leading indicators. Consequently, the inevitable alternative statistics have materialized. You may want to follow them rather than the government statistics.

US Dollar Index

Updated: March 5, 2010

This index measures the value of a US dollar relative to a basket of foreign currencies. The higher the number, the stronger the dollar.

US Personal Savings Rate

Updated: March 5, 2010

The savings rate is a measure of the percentage of income that individuals save.

US Rail Traffic

Updated: March 5, 2010

The volume of US rail freight indicates the volume of economic activity.

US Trade Deficit

Updated: March 5, 2010

The trade deficit is the difference between the value of goods exported from the US and the value of goods imported into the US. A negative number indicates that more goods were imported than exported.

US Unemployment Rate

Updated: March 5, 2010

This is a measure of US workers unemployed expressed as a percentage.

Volatility Index

Updated: March 5, 2010

This index measures the volitility of the S&P 500 stocks. The higher the volitility, the more unstable the stock markets. It is said to indicate fear.