Baukaw and others,
You have just contradicted yourself.
Yes, it is the macro view that the market and the financial instos look at. It is what is going to happen in the future NOT the SP now or in a few months time. They don't even look at the current SP. They look at the underlying asset and the economics that are predicted for the future.
If you want to get a handle on what is really happening in the IO world and get a macro holistic view, check out the report from Market Realist and get educated.