Day after day we are bombarded by the sound and fury of each and every macro-economic data point that is then extrapolated as meaning either a) it's bad enough that the Fed will be behind us forever more, or b) it's good enoughthat we are on the path to self-sustainable escape-velocity based utopia. The US, especially, seems to have been proclaimed the cleanest dirty shirt ("where else are you going to put your money" is mantra'd into our minds - especially odd now since treasury yields exceed equity dividends by such a large margin). But, as usual, a glimpse at the data and reality hits the investor squarely in the face. The following 12 charts of global macro surprise indices - i.e. just how well nations are doing relative to PhD economist expectations - should summarize the sturm und drang we suffer each day.
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Chart: Citi