You can refer to something that helps you predict something that will happen in the future as a predictorof that thing.
Opinion polls are an unreliable predictor of election outcomes. [+ of]
Reading ability at 15 is a major predictor of success, happiness and wealth.
predictor in British English
or predicter (prɪˈdɪktə)
noun
1.
a person or thing that predicts
2.
an instrument, used in conjunction with an anti-aircraft gun, that determines the speed, distance, height, and direction of hostile aircraft
3. statistics a more modern term for independent variable
Examples of 'predictor' in a sentence
predictor
They have also been shown to be no guaranteed predictor of success in life.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
The best predictor of the future is the past.
Christianity Today (2000)
Our election outcome predictor shows the odds on him winning outright are a minuscule three per cent.
The Sun (2015)
The single best predictor of performance is a sense of humour.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
Previous work has shown that foot colour is a strong predictor for reproductive success.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
The most powerful predictor of high performance is the quality and quantity of practice.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
It is simply unrealistic to expect any one test to be a powerful predictor of job performance.
Tompkins, Jonathan Human Resource Management in Government (1995)
Plus The chance to have your say and play our predictor game timesonline.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
Rowing with a partner over money is the strongest predictor of divorce, a study shows.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
Second, sociologists have shown that parental social class is a strong predictor of job success.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
We know that the single best predictor of performance at 16 is the qualifications held by parents.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
The yield ratio is historically quite a good predictor of future returns, not in the short run but over the next decade.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
THERE is a massive 15,000 up for grabs in our brilliant predictor game.
The Sun (2013)
But grit is a better predictor of success than IQ.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
The effect is to make GCSE results a less reliable predictor of academic performance.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
It is seen as a good predictor of aces' performances at Wimbledon.
The Sun (2009)
If the best predictor of future behaviour is past behaviour, surely detailed reports on that past behaviour will provide the best information for a recruiter.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
It adds to a body of evidence that suggests brain size is a good predictor of animals' ability to adapt to new or changing environmental conditions.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
The best predictor of the future is the past - if you lie on an application form, will you lie on your expenses claims?
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
Worse, given that it is a good predictor of bad times to come, the volume of new mortgage approvals is at its lowest for nearly three years.