Question

Leading economic indicators
Economists forecast future economic conditions by studying variables that tend to fluctuate in advance of the overall economy. The most significant of these variables are known as leading indicators, and they compose the index of leading economic indicators. Which of the following variables are measured as part of this index?
A. The interest rate spread
B. New applications for unemployment insurance
C. Hours worked by manufacturing workers
D. Stock prices
E. Supplier deliveries

Answer 1

Answer:

B. New applications for unemployment insurance

D. Stock prices

Explanation:

Unemployment benefits claims is one of the most powerful leading economic indicators, because it can predict, with a high degree of accuracy, the unemployment rate of the next economic periods.

Stock prices are also included in the index of leading economic indicators, more specifically, the Stock Prices of the S&P 500. Stock prices are a leading indicator because investors try to carefully invest in those companies they feel will have a good performance in both the short-term and the long-term.