The reason behind price fluctuations is simple: economics. However, economics is not a simple subject. Economic data is broken down in this volume and explained in a way that is simple and interesting to readers.

This text provides a thorough explanation of the non-financial economic indicators that are closely watched by the financial markets. It details how the indicators are compiled and what the statistical significance is for the economy, as well as presenting insights into interpreting the data.

Every day, stocks, bonds, and currencies bounce wildly in response to new economic indicators. Money managers obsess over those statistics, because they provide crucial clues about the future of the economy and the financial markets. Now "you "can use these indicators to make smarter investment decisions, just like the professionals do.You don't need an economics degree, or a CPA... just this easy-to-use book. Former "TIME "Magazine senior economics reporter Bernard Baumohl has done the impossible: he's made economic indicators "fascinating." Using real-world examples and stories, Baumohl illuminates every U.S. and foreign indicator that matters.Where to find them.What they look like. What the insiders know about their track records. And "exactly "how to interpret them. Whether you're an investor, broker, portfolio manager, researcher, journalist, or student, you'll find this book indispensable.Nobody can predict the future with certainty. But "The Secrets of Economic Indicators "will get you as close as humanly possible. What the numbers "really "mean... ...to stocks, bonds, rates, currencies, and you Ahead of the curve: spotting turning points Calling recessions and recoveries in time to profit from them Leading indicators: where's the economy "really "heading Decoding initial unemployment claims, housing starts, the yield curve, and other predictors Beyond the borders Why foreign indicators are increasingly important-and how to use them Making sense of indicators in conflict What to do when the numbers disagree Finding the data Free web resources for the latest economic dataInvestments ""This is the most up-to-date guide to economic indicators and their importance to financial markets in print. For anyone trying to follow the economic data, this should be next to your "computer so that you can understand and find the data on the Internet." David Wyss, Chief Economist, Standard and Poor's ""I find Baumohl's writing fascinating. Just about anyone who's serious about understanding which way the economy is headed will want to read this book. It could be a classic."" Harry Domash, Columnist for MSN Money and Publisher, Winning Investing Newsletter ""Every business person or investor should keep a copy of Baumohl's book close-at-hand. It is great, at long last, to have someone who has eliminated what may have been so perplexing to so many and to have done so with such remarkable clarity."" Hugh Johnson, Chief Investment Officer, First Albany ""Bernie Baumohl has written a "must read" educational and reference book that every individual investor will find indispensable for watching, monitoring, and interpreting the markets."" Allen Sinai, President and Chief Global Economist, Decision Economics, Inc. ""Baumohl has a gift for taking a complicated subject and allowing it to read like a fast-moving novel. I recommend this book if you care about your future finances."" Morris E. Lasky, CEO, Lodging Unlimited, Inc.-manager and consultant for $6 billion in hotel assets; Chairman, Lodging Conference; Chairman, International Hotel Conference ""I think this is an excellent book. It's well written, accessible to a variety of readers, deals with an interesting and important subject, and covers the topic well. It deserves to get a lot of notice and use."" D. Quinn Mills, Alfred J. Weatherhead Jr., Professor of Business Administration, Harvard Business School "The fascinating, plain-English guide to economic indicators: what they mean, and how to use them." "Unemployment. Inflation. Consumer confidence. Retail sales.".. Every morning brings new economic statistics. Which economic indicators really matter? What do they mean for stocks, bonds, interest rates, currencies..."your portfolio?" How can you use them to make faster, smarter investment decisions? Simple, clear, non-technical, friendly, "usable."..the "only "book of its kind! By former renowned "TIME "Magazine economics journalist Bernard Baumohl. (c) Copyright Pearson Education. All rights reserved.

We are bombarded with economic numbers: unemployment, retail sales, inflation, GDP—the list goes on and on. Some analyst or another is constantly telling us about an obscure statistic that is the key to our future, or is apparently the indicator that the "Fed" will be using to key off its decisions. With economic numbers playing such a central role in the national and world dialogue on policy and markets, and spilling over into the political arena, a broad review of what they are all about is timely. This book reviews the critical US economic data, and how one may put the numbers into an intellectual structure that will depict evolving economic reality. The work is aimed at those who want and need to get some understanding about how the data contributes to a big picture of the economy and guides policy. The objective is for the reader to grasp the overall logic of the data—how each piece of the puzzle contributes to our understanding of the overall economy. This is the way the Fed looks at the numbers. There are other books that go through the economic numbers, but they do so in a "bottom-up" fashion, describing a series in some detail and adding something about how financial markets may respond to it. This book naturally has considerable discussion of series, but views them as part of the overall mosaic, not items of fundamental interest in themselves.

In Understanding China’s Economic Indicators, leading economist and Wall Street Journal columnist Thomas M. Orlik introduces 35 of China's most significant economic statistics. Orlik explains why each indicator matters, how it is collected and computed, and its impact on equity, commodity, and currency markets. As China has emerged as a central player in the global economy, more and more investors are seeking profitable opportunities there. To choose the right investments, it's crucial to understand China's economic environment–and that means finding, interpreting, and utilizing China's growing base of economic indicators. Orlik helps investors make sense of data on everything from Chinese GDP growth to inflation, unemployment, bond yields, electricity production, and aircraft passenger numbers. He draws on the best information supplied by the Chinese government's statistical agency, ministries, and industry associations, as well as private sources. Each indicator is clearly described, along with a practical discussion of its implications for investors.

All signs of economic activity or non-activity are actually part of a large group of statistics and data known as economic indicators. With the help of economic data and the analysis of economic indicators, economists can locate the economy’s present position within the cycle and anticipate its next movements. This book introduces readers to the fascinating and revelatory realm of economic indicators— leading, lagging, and coincident indicators. Readers will be initiated into the mysteries of economic analysis and forecasting and learn exactly how economists “read the signs” and come up with solid data that provides reliable and accurate information about the upward or downward direction in which the economy is headed.

Drawing on OECD statistics in particular, ‘Understanding Economic Statistics: an OECD perspective' shows readers how to use statistics to understand the world economy. It gives an overview of the history, key concepts and the main providers of economic statistics.