indicator

The head of the US central bank, Jerome Powell, offered assurances in a speech last week, noting that sentiment had not been a good indicator of behaviour in recent years.

But financial analysts have warned that they are contributing to worries in financial markets, hurting consumer sentiment and fuelling weakness across a range of other economic indicators.

President Trump’s largely rosy assessment of the U.S. under his new administration is contradicted by other indicators, including public polling, economic markets, court rulings and remarks from U.S. allies.

They also serve as indicators of environmental health - when butterfly numbers fall, it signals trouble for other species.

However, other indicators of success for a new president — including public polling, economic markets, court rulings and the remarks of foreign allies — paint a far more nuanced picture.