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

International Economic Indicators

Up to now, we've been dealing only with U.S. economic reports. Now let's look at the growing importance of monitoring international economic indicators. During much of the twentieth century, Americans had only a remote interest in following the economic affairs of other nations. Few saw a need to take them more seriously. The U.S., after all, possessed the largest and most self-sufficient economy in the world and, by and large, had been impervious to the ups and downs of foreign economic cycles. If Germany or France or even the emerging countries of Asia suffered an economic downturn, barely anyone in the U.S. would care or even notice.

That's not the case any longer. Though the U.S. economy still reigns supreme, ...