This Element is an excerpt from The Secrets of Economic Indicators: Hidden Clues to Future Economic Trends and Investment Opportunities, 2nd Edition (9780132447294) by Bernard Baumohl. Available in print and digital formats.

Cut through the clutter of economic data and focus on the economic indicators that really drive markets.

Shortly after dawn on most weekday mornings, a strange ritual takes place in Washington, D.C. Two dozen select men and women leave home and rush off to virtual house arrest. The location varies, but wherever it is, they always enter a strict, prison-like setting where contact with the outside world is cut off. Then, it begins....