Sector early indicator? Yes, the Hardware trade can be sometimes

Related to the Real Estate sector, trade in Hardware and Construction Materials - here represented by the twin titans of home improvement retailing, Home Depot (HD, in green) and Lowe's (LOW, in purple) - can sometimes act as an early indicator against the broader market (here represented by the DJIA in gray, and the NASDAQ in black)... falling from peaks in Feb 2007, Apr 2011, Mar 2015.