One of the economic indicators that is one of the most prescient about
the direction of the global economy is the Baltic Dry Index. It measures
shipping around the world as a predictor of the health of the global
economy. When shipping in the world declines, so does economic activity.
from Zero Hedge:
It has been a while since we looked at the
Baltic Dry Index, which when normalizing for the excess glut in dry
container ship supply (such as right now - 5 years after all the excess
supply in the industry - has long been normalized), continues to be
one of the best concurrent indicators of global shipping and trade. We look at it today, moments ago it just posted an epic 8.2% plunge, crashing from 900 to 826, or the biggest drop since 2008!
Of course, conisdering the collapse in global trade confirmed in past
days by both Chinese and US data, this should not come as a surprise,
although we are certain it will merely bring out the BDIY apologists who
tell us that supply and demand here (like in every other Fed-supported
market) are completely uncorrelated.