Friday, December 09, 2011

Another Leading Economic Indicator

My book (with Simon Constable) The Wall Street Journal Guide to the 50 Economic Indicators That Really Matter continues to sell circa 500 copies per month. It is a great, inexpensive holiday or birthday gift for anyone you know who is interested in investing and/or economics. It has received some great reviews and is an EZ and interesting read.

At a meeting last night I got a lead on yet another important leading economic indicator, a "canary in the coal mine" if you will -- RV and mobile home sales. A local dealer explained to me that she realized that something bad was afoot a full year before the subprime sh ... feces hit the fan because banks greatly reduced the volume of lending. For investors, RV, camper, etc. sales would be good to track but also the industry's manufacturing output, employment, and bank loans (though I'm not sure the last named are readily available).