The Services Purchasing Manager's Index (PMI) measures the activity level of purchasing managers in the manufacturing sector, with a reading above 50 indicating expansion. A rising trend has a positive effect on the nation's currency. To produce the index, purchasing managers are surveyed on a number of subjects including employment, production, new orders, supplier deliveries, and inventories. Traders watch these surveys closely because purchasing managers, by virtue of their jobs, have early access to data about their company’s performance, which can be a leading indicator of overall economic performance.
The Retail Sales Index measures the total value goods and services sold each month at retail outlets. A rising trend has a positive effect on the nation's currency because Retail Sales make up a large portion of consumer spending, which is a major driver of the economy and has a sizable impact on GDP. Traders pay close attention to Retail Sales because it is usually the first significant indicator of the month that relates to consumer behavior and is susceptible to surprises. The headline is the monthly and annual percentage change in retail sales.
The Consumer Price Index is one of the leading economic gauges to measure the pace of inflation. Simply put, CPI measures the acceleration of price in a fixed basket of goods and services. Higher CPI indicates that prices of the basket as a whole have increased and as such, it costs more of the local currency to buy the same basket of goods. CPI is also broken down to a core level which strips out the volatile components of the index, which usually include food and energy, but this various by country. Usually, central banks pay far greater importance to the core numbers than the headline numbers. Excessive inflation will induce a central bank to consider raising interest rates while falling inflation would give them the flexibility to lower interest rates.
The Consumer Price Index is one of the leading economic gauges to measure the pace of inflation. Simply put, CPI measures the acceleration of price in a fixed basket of goods and services. Higher CPI indicates that prices of the basket as a whole have increased and as such, it costs more of the local currency to buy the same basket of goods. CPI is also broken down to a core level which strips out the volatile components of the index, which usually include food and energy, but this various by country. Usually, central banks pay far greater importance to the core numbers than the headline numbers. Excessive inflation will induce a central bank to consider raising interest rates while falling inflation would give them the flexibility to lower interest rates.
The Services Purchasing Manager's Index (PMI) measures the activity level of purchasing managers in the manufacturing sector, with a reading above 50 indicating expansion. A rising trend has a positive effect on the nation's currency. To produce the index, purchasing managers are surveyed on a number of subjects including employment, production, new orders, supplier deliveries, and inventories. Traders watch these surveys closely because purchasing managers, by virtue of their jobs, have early access to data about their company’s performance, which can be a leading indicator of overall economic performance.
The Services Purchasing Manager's Index (PMI) measures the activity level of purchasing managers in the manufacturing sector, with a reading above 50 indicating expansion. A rising trend has a positive effect on the nation's currency. To produce the index, purchasing managers are surveyed on a number of subjects including employment, production, new orders, supplier deliveries, and inventories. Traders watch these surveys closely because purchasing managers, by virtue of their jobs, have early access to data about their company’s performance, which can be a leading indicator of overall economic performance.
The Services Purchasing Manager's Index (PMI) measures the activity level of purchasing managers in the manufacturing sector, with a reading above 50 indicating expansion. A rising trend has a positive effect on the nation's currency. To produce the index, purchasing managers are surveyed on a number of subjects including employment, production, new orders, supplier deliveries, and inventories. Traders watch these surveys closely because purchasing managers, by virtue of their jobs, have early access to data about their company’s performance, which can be a leading indicator of overall economic performance.
The Services Purchasing Manager's Index (PMI) measures the activity level of purchasing managers in the manufacturing sector, with a reading above 50 indicating expansion. A rising trend has a positive effect on the nation's currency. To produce the index, purchasing managers are surveyed on a number of subjects including employment, production, new orders, supplier deliveries, and inventories. Traders watch these surveys closely because purchasing managers, by virtue of their jobs, have early access to data about their company’s performance, which can be a leading indicator of overall economic performance.
The Services Purchasing Manager's Index (PMI) measures the activity level of purchasing managers in the manufacturing sector, with a reading above 50 indicating expansion. A rising trend has a positive effect on the nation's currency. To produce the index, purchasing managers are surveyed on a number of subjects including employment, production, new orders, supplier deliveries, and inventories. Traders watch these surveys closely because purchasing managers, by virtue of their jobs, have early access to data about their company’s performance, which can be a leading indicator of overall economic performance.
The Retail Sales Index measures the total value goods and services sold each month at retail outlets. A rising trend has a positive effect on the nation's currency because Retail Sales make up a large portion of consumer spending, which is a major driver of the economy and has a sizable impact on GDP. Traders pay close attention to Retail Sales because it is usually the first significant indicator of the month that relates to consumer behavior and is susceptible to surprises. The headline is the monthly and annual percentage change in retail sales.
The Retail Sales Index measures the total value goods and services sold each month at retail outlets. A rising trend has a positive effect on the nation's currency because Retail Sales make up a large portion of consumer spending, which is a major driver of the economy and has a sizable impact on GDP. Traders pay close attention to Retail Sales because it is usually the first significant indicator of the month that relates to consumer behavior and is susceptible to surprises. The headline is the monthly and annual percentage change in retail sales.
The average workweek indicator (also known as hours worked) is important for two reasons. First, it is a critical determinant of such monthly indicators as industrial production and personal income. Second, it is considered a useful indicator of labor market conditions: a rising workweek early in the business cycle may be the first indication that employers are preparing to boost their payrolls, while late in the cycle a rising workweek may indicate that employers are having difficulty finding qualified applicants for open positions. Average earnings are closely followed as an indicator of potential inflation. Like the price of any good or service, the price of labor reacts to an overly accommodative monetary policy. If the price of labor is rising sharply, it may be an indication that too much money is chasing too few goods, or in this case employees.
Average Hourly Earnings Index measures the rate of inflation found in the wages paid to nonfarm jobholders. A rising trend has a positive effect on the nation's currency. When businesses pay more for labor, they are likely to pass the higher costs to the consumer, so traders view wage inflation as a leading indicator of consumer inflation. The figure is either measured in hourly or weekly averages or as a percent change from the previous month.
Average Hourly Earnings Index measures the rate of inflation found in the wages paid to nonfarm jobholders. A rising trend has a positive effect on the nation's currency. When businesses pay more for labor, they are likely to pass the higher costs to the consumer, so traders view wage inflation as a leading indicator of consumer inflation. The figure is either measured in hourly or weekly averages or as a percent change from the previous month.
The Manufacturing Payrolls Change measures job creation or loss in manufacturing sector. Manufacturing Payroll is reported as the net change in jobs from the previous months figure. The figure is significant as an indicator of the health of the manufacturing sector. A high Manufacturing Payrolls number can signal increased demand for manufactured goods and a subsequent increase in production.
The Non-farm Employment Change (Non-farm Payrolls) measures the change in the number of employed people during the previous month, excluding the farming industry. Job creation is an important leading indicator of consumer spending, which accounts for a majority of overall economic activity. On the other hand, a consistent decline in Non-farm Employment suggests a slowing economy, which makes a decline in rates more likely.
The Unemployment Rate is the percentage of total work force that is unemployed and actively seeking employment during the previous month. higher Unemployment Rate is generally a drain on the economy. Not only does it mean that resources are not being fully utilized, but it also results in lower consumer spending as there are fewer workers receiving paychecks.
The Institute of Supply Management (ISM) Non-Manufacturing Index measures activity level, new orders, empoyement and supplier deliveries of purchasing managers in the services sector, with a reading above 50 indicating expansion. A rising trend has a positive effect on the nation's currency. To produce the index, purchasing managers are surveyed on a number of subjects including employment, production, new orders, supplier deliveries, and inventories. Traders watch these surveys closely because purchasing managers, by virtue of their jobs, have early access to data about their company’s performance, which can be a leading indicator of overall economic performance.
The Consumer Confidence measures the mood of households in regard to economic conditions. The reading is derived from a monthly survey that asks households to evaluate the prospects for the economy in the future. Higher readings point to higher consumer optimism. When consumers are optimistic they tend to purchase more goods and services, which stimulates the economy. The headline figure is the difference between the percentage of positive responses and the percentage of negative answers.
