Economics Archives

Level Beginner

Monetary Measures, Economic Output and Corporate Profits (US)

The amount of money and credit in economies, the growth of economies and the profitability of companies are important indicators of economic health. Money and credit help to drive economic activity. The rate of economic output shows the results of past economic activity while corporate profitability reflects the effectiveness of corporations. Taken together, these economic indicators help us determine where we’re going and where we are. In this course, we’ll learn about economic indicators that cover the central banking system, the government bond system, fiscal budgets, economic growth calculations and the importance of corporate profitability. Some of the indicators include the money supply, yield curve, gross domestic product and corporate profits.

Money Supply (M2)

The Yield Curve

Corporate Earnings

Gross Domestic Product

Business and Consumer Activity and Confidence (US)

Measuring the activity and the sentiments of consumers and businesses is integral for investors. Consumer and business strength and sentiment are important coincident and leading indicators of economic activity that correlate strongly with corporate earnings and revenue growth. The well-being of economies and markets directly depends on the actions and feelings of consumers and businesses. This course covers indicators that provide insight into economic activity and confidence like confidence, sales, incomes, production, and more.

Purchasing Managers’ Index for Manufacturing

Consumer Price Index

Industrial Production

Personal Income and Outlays

Consumer Confidence

Retail Sales

Construction and Real Estate (US)

Investors carefully watch real estate indicators, because the sector is labor intensive, interest rate sensitive and it requires significant capital and the coordination of many moving parts of the economy. The health of the many contributors to the real estate sector is likely a reflection of overall economic health. In this course, we'll explore many different indicators that track the real estate market and its many different aspects such as mortgage rate, mortgage applications, spending, prices, shovels in the ground, permitting and more.

Housing Permits

Housing Starts

Housing Completions

Construction Spending

Home Price Index

Existing Home Sales

Mortgage Applications

Mortgage Delinquencies