I read this article and found the info and links useful. This might be worth looking at occasionally.
5 ECONOMIC TRENDS TO WATCH
This is from SmartMoney.com "When to get back in the Market; 5 signs of a long-term rally."
1] What to watch: Stock prices across different sectors of the economy.
Where to get them: http://news.morningstar.com/stockReturns/CapWtdSectorReturns.html
2] What to watch: The "TED spread." It recently fell to around 50 basis points, close to its historical average-an encouraging sign.
Where to get it: Many financial-news sites, including Bloomberg.com and TEDspread.com.
3] What to watch: Weekly unemployment claims. Look for a couple of months of slower growth or, better yet, declines.
Where to get them: Department of Labor.
4] What to watch: Consumer confidence index; two or more months in a row with scores above 50 would be good news.
Where to get it: The Conference Board business trade group.
NOTE: Page above has several U.S. Indicators. Review this.
5] What to watch: Housing starts and building permits. The more, the merrier.
Where to get it: The Census Bureau's New Residential Construction index.
