Wall Street pays close attention to this metric as an indicator of growth potential, because strong figures suggest that a retailer does not depend on new store openings for revenue and earnings increases.

FORBES: Pumping Up Sales

In fact, you should never buy or sell stocks based on any single sentiment indicator, whether it is our survey, the State Street Investor Confidence Index or the Investors Intelligence Advisors Survey.

FORBES: How Much Should You Rely On Sentiment Surveys?

Our favorite lead indicator, the semiconductor industry, increasingly points skyward, with Wall Street now beginning to catch on that there's an extended cycle here.

FORBES: Magazine Article

Rather than focus on this important indicator, the market focuses on predictions of a double dip by distant Wall Street economists, who are not on the lots selling trucks.

FORBES: Changing Seasons

The latest indicator to that effect is a report published by Peggy Noonan in Monday's Wall Street Journal based on an interview with President Bush last week.

CENTERFORSECURITYPOLICY: Which Bush on Missile Defense?

The reason this is our favorite indicator is because it leads most of the other economic indicators and helps us to get ahead of Wall Street.

FORBES: Gold Stages Key Bullish Technical Reversal