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Activity Indicators & Growth Signals

Current Activity Indicator (Goldman)

Yicai High Frequency Economic Activity Index (YHEI)

The Yicai High Frequency Economic Activity Index (YHEI) is a weekly economic indicator published by the Yicai Research Institute. It is designed to provide a real-time pulse on China’s economy by utilizing daily high-frequency data, filling the information gap left by slower, traditional indicators like GDP or monthly industrial output.

Above 1.00: Activity is above the average of the base period (Expansion). Below 1.00: Activity is below the average of the base period (Contraction).

1. What the Index Tracks

The YHEI aggregates daily data points across five key categories to create a comprehensive picture of the economy’s momentum.

🚗 Transportation

Traffic Congestion: Monitors real-time traffic congestion indices in 30 major Chinese cities.

Mobility: Tracks subway ridership and inter-city movement.

⚡ Energy & Environment

Coal Consumption: Measures daily coal usage at major power plants (a strong proxy for industrial electricity demand).

Pollution Levels: Uses environmental data as a secondary proxy for factory activity levels.

🛍️ Consumption & Trade

Real Estate: Tracks real-time data on apartment sales (floor space sold) in key cities.

Freight: Monitors import/export freight costs and logistics volume.

💼 Business & Consumer Confidence

Search Sentiment: Uses internet search engine data for keywords like “unemployment” and “bankruptcy” to gauge economic stress and public sentiment.

2. Analytical Framework

Unlike simple surveys, the YHEI uses a quantitative analytical framework to combine disparate data sources into a single, normalized number.

Normalization: Different units (congestion index, tons of coal, search volume) are normalized to be comparable.

Weighting: Components are weighted based on their correlation with the broader economy.

Baseline: The index is calibrated so that 1.00 represents the average activity level of the comparison year (often 2019 pre-pandemic levels). This allows for instant “recovery” assessment.

3. How It Is Used

The YHEI is a critical tool for “nowcasting” the Chinese economy.

⏱️ Timely Economic Assessment: Provides policymakers and investors with an immediate read on the economy, weeks before official NBS monthly data is released.

🧩 Supplementing Official Data: It fills the gaps between the release of comprehensive but lagging indicators like GDP.

📉 Monitoring Momentum: It is specifically used to identify short-term fluctuations caused by sudden shocks (like lockdowns, policy shifts, or holidays) that might be smoothed out in quarterly reports.

PMIs (Manufacturing & Services)

Industrial Production

Daily Coal Consumption

Thought to be a leading/coincident indicator of growth

Surveys

Consumer Surveys

Most measures below are quaterly and lagged except Consumer Confidence (the first)

Business Survey

Mixed frequency

Cycle Indexes

China NBS Macroeconomic Climate Index: An Overview

The Macroeconomic Climate Index (宏观经济景气指数) is a composite indicator system published monthly by the National Bureau of Statistics of China (NBS). Unlike single data points like GDP, this system aggregates multiple indicators to provide a multidimensional view of the economic cycle. It combines hard data (industrial output, investment) with soft survey data (PMI, consumer confidence) and visualizes the result using a simple “Traffic Light” system to signal overheating or recessionary pressures.

1. The Three Component Indices

The system uses the Composite Index Method, grouping varying raw data points based on their timing relative to the broader economy.

🚀 Leading Index (先行指数) - Predicts the Future
  • Function: Anticipates turning points in the economic cycle (peaks and troughs) roughly 3-6 months in advance.

  • Key Components:

    • New Orders: From the PMI survey (signals future production).

    • Money Supply (M2): Signals future liquidity and investment capacity.

    • Floor Space Started: A proxy for future construction activity and raw material demand.

    • Consumer Expectations: Sentiment data predicting future consumption.

    • Export Orders: Signals future external demand.

⏱️ Coincident Index (一致指数) - Measures the Present
  • Function: Reflects the current state of the economy. This index generally moves in sync with the business cycle.

  • Key Components:

    • Value-Added of Industrial Enterprises: The core measure of industrial output.

    • Social Retail Sales: A primary measure of consumption.

    • Fixed Asset Investment: Real-time infrastructure and manufacturing investment.

    • Employment: Surveyed urban unemployment rates.

    • Electricity Production: A high-frequency proxy for industrial activity.

🐢 Lagging Index (滞后指数) - Confirms the Past
  • Function: Validates that a turning point has passed. It filters out false signals; if this index turns, the cycle has officially shifted.

  • Key Components:

    • Inventory of Finished Goods: Tends to peak after demand has already collapsed.

    • CPI / PPI: Inflation often reacts to economic heat/cooling with a delay.

    • Corporate Profits: Recognized and reported after economic activity occurs.

2. Data Composition: Hard vs. Soft Data

The indices are constructed using a weighted combination of two types of data sources.

Data TypeDescriptionExamples in Index
Hard DataQuantitative, measured statistics derived from reporting.Industrial Output, Retail Sales, M2 Money Supply, Inventory Levels, Electricity Usage.
Soft DataQualitative, sentiment-based indicators derived from surveys.PMI (Purchasing Managers’ Index), Consumer Confidence Index, Business Climate Surveys.

Note: The Coincident Index relies heavily on Hard Data (actual output), while the Leading Index relies more on Soft Data (expectations and orders).

Fixed Asset Investment

GDP Growth & Components

By Industries (Value Added Approach)

By Contribution (Expenditure approach)

Inflation Measures

Inflation Leading Indicators

Labor Market & Slack Measures

Output Gap

Trade & External Balance

Real-time & Weekly Indicators

Credit Creation & Financial Conditions

Property Sector Indicators

Fiscal Policy & Government Budget

Additional China-Specific Indicators

AI-Powered Analysis