Economic indicators
Here at MoneyWeek, we track a wide range of leading indicators that we reckon give a good idea of where the global economy and markets are heading. We update our indicators regularly as new data are published, so visit this page often for the latest information.
The areas we are watching at the moment include:
Where house prices are headed next is something everyone wants to know. It's the question on everyone's lips. To find the answer, we've hunted down what we believe are the best leading indicators for Britain's housing market.
We watch six indicators, all of which have proved useful guides in the past. These include the RICS Housing Market Survey and data on both mortgage lending and mortgage approvals. We also keep an eye on consumer confidence, as well as the price of shares in flooring specialist Carpetright.
We've spotlighted several early warning signs that have proved useful in the past as guides to where inflation might be going.
We watch external factors such as oil and food prices, as well as cost pressures in China. We also keep an eye on what British industry is having to charge for its products, which influences what consumers pay in the shops.
Further, we look at wage inflation and the BRC Neilsen shop price index.
More and more investors crying out for a secure home for their money. And for many, gold is the ultimate safe haven. But what makes gold tick? And can its price keep rising?
To answer these questions, we track several indicators that have correllated closely with gold in the past: the US dollar gold price vs the dollar/yen exchange rate; the gold price compared with US public debt; gold's price in UK pounds against the sterling/ Swiss franc exchange rate; and what the gold/silver price ratio means for global stock markets.