# How a macro thread connects pages

Informational only - not investment advice.

Book: [Reading Financial Data - Step by Step](/guide/)
Chapter: [Company filings and the story behind the numbers](/guide/filings-and-story/)
As of: 2026-05-01

A thread gathers a macro theme, mapped SIC sectors, company financials, and literal MD&A mentions.

## Concept

A thread is a reading path. It does not say a company is helped or hurt by the theme.

## Worked Example: Follow inflation from an indicator to companies

1. Start with CPIAUCSL: the latest CPI level is 333.979 as of 2026-05-01.
2. Then open the inflation thread to see mapped sectors and the largest companies in those sectors by revenue.
3. Read any MD&A excerpt as a literal filing sentence, then follow the company link for context.

## See it live

- [Inflation thread](/thread/inflation-cpi-pce-ppi/)
- [CPIAUCSL indicator page](/indicator/CPIAUCSL/)

## Sources

- [CPIAUCSL source](https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/CPIAUCSL)