With consumer spending accounting for some 70% of all economic activity, experts pay special attention this indicator to gauge broader economic health.
This gauge has been a reliable indicator for our investment team, as markets that enter the extreme territory have historically reverted back to their mean.
But since at least May, the margin between crude and wholesale gas prices has increasingly shrunk, according to AAA's Fuel Gauge Report, a daily updated indicator of retail gasoline prices.
Chip Case and Robert Shiller are known for the gauge of home prices that bears their name, but as that indicator continues to draw cheers for a U.S. housing recovery the pair warn that things are not quite as rosy as they appear.
Setup proved to be simple and straightforward, though the reviewer found it difficult to gauge signal strength, as there's no external or software-based indicator.