As an investor, it’s important to remember that the economy is not the same thing as the stock market, and vice versa. The market can roar ahead even while the economy is struggling, and stocks can falter despite economic growth. But that’s not to say you should ignore news about the economy. For one thing, investors’ expectations are what do drive the market, and those expectations are certainly influenced by the economy–and by how investors feel about the economy. Plus, on days like last Friday, faced with headlines like “Dow slides for seventh week out of eight,” it’s hard...