You are using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser to improve your experience. Huang , Senior Associate Editor December 31, Many analysts draw the dividing line between bear and bull markets by looking at the moving average. WHAT IT SAYS NOW: Our Special Report on How to Be a Better Investor.

A monthly gauge of how consumers feel about the economy and their personal finances. When consumers are worried about the future, they spend less.

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A rise in spending could help revive the economy and lift the stock market. In early November, the index plunged to But consumer spending rose in September, following modest gains in July and August, according to Commerce Department data. The number of initial claims for unemployment benefits nationwide, reported weekly by the U.

6 Key Stock Market Indicators to Watch

Basically, the higher the number, the weaker the economy. But the number of jobless claims has been coming down—albeit in a jagged line. Nearly , people filed for unemployment in late October, an improvement over a year ago, when it was about , In recent years when the dollar has strengthened—as measured against a basket of other key currencies, including the yen, the euro and the British pound—the U.

Despite the long-term trend of a weaker dollar, the currency strengthened in late August and climbed through September—just as the U. But in October and early November, the dollar weakened again—and the stock market regained some ground.

As you can see from the chart above, the stocks of emerging markets and U. However, the growth of the consumer class in emerging markets has fueled sales for many U. Emerging markets have been a sea of red ink for the past year.

But in October, the MSCI Emerging Markets index rallied The price of the index divided by the sum of the operating earnings per share of the companies in the index. The ratio is in a historically low range, driven by investor fear and uncertainty. Toggle navigation Menu Subscribers Log In. Sections Close Menu Wealth Creation Investing Retirement Taxes Your Money Your Business Magazine Contents.

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QUIZ Will It Sink Your Credit Score? SLIDE SHOW Best Credit Unions Anyone Can Join, Markets 6 Key Stock Market Indicators to Watch. Keep an eye on these benchmarks to gauge where the market is headed next. About Us Employment Opportunities Privacy Policy Terms of Service Millennium Copyright Act Site Map RSS.