> Gross domestic product, producer price indices, consumer price indices, employment statistics, housing starts, manufacturing and trade inventory levels and fl

> Gross domestic product, producer price indices, consumer price indices, employment statistics, housing starts, manufacturing and trade inventory levels and flows and stock indices are not practical? I think you underestimate the role and prevalence of econometric methods. They're very prevalent, I have no qualms about that. But, economics is a young field and we're starting to see the old methods come apart. Specifically, GDP. It has been touted as the end-all-be-all to measure a country's wealth (quality of life), however this notion is incorrect[0]. > The S&P 500 has a clearly-stated goal and methodology [1]. It's used as a shorthand for U.S. large cap equities because it's well designed for that purpose. I am speaking purely of a practical sense. That is, what use do market practitioners (investors, speculators, etc.) assign to it. The group of S&P indices (not just the popular 500) is used as a quick tool to gauge segment "health," i.e current level compared to all levels and means before it. This is the same reason this barometer is supposed to serve. >The Bloomberg "barometer" doesn't do any of these. Is it supposed to forecast valuations? Ease of fundraising? IPO conditions? It's supposed to be shorthand for the "startups" segment. However, since most startups (and in particular the technology startups that dominate this segment) are difficult to assign accurate valuation (due to: risk, intangible assets (see: goodwill), opaqueness of financials, private ownership, etc.), there is very little work with. >Nailing down what an index is designed to do, practically, is important because that directs which data one uses and how one weights them. Calling this a "quick reference" is a farce--it's an obfuscated infographic that fails to make a point. I believe it's a step into the right direction, but it definitely will need updating moving forward as we learn more about the nature of startups. [0]http://www.economist.com/news/briefing/21697845-gross-domestic-product-gdp-increasingly-poor-measure-prosperity-it-not-even http://www.economist.com/news/briefing/21697845-gross-domest... (as only one quick example)