The Economist (July 22)
“Economists are not known for their optimism, but today their good cheer is palpable. Not long ago it seemed that an American recession was inevitable.” Now, expectations are heady that this can be averted, but “the surge of hope is… unusual because the world economy is slowing down.” While “falling inflation is good news,” it remains “too early to hail a ‘soft landing.’”
Tags: Averted, Economists, Expectations, Hope, Inevitable, Inflation, Optimism, Recession, Slowing, Surge, U.S., World economy
Reuters (July 21)
“Worries over a global slowdown are casting a shadow over Asia’s recovery prospects with factory activity growth slowing in Japan and Australia, keeping pressure on policymakers to support their economies while tightening monetary policy to combat inflation.”
Tags: Asia, Australia, Factory activity, Global slowdown, Inflation, Japan, Monetary policy, Policymakers, Recovery, Slowing, Support, Tightening, Worries
Wall Street Journal (July 13)
“U.S. consumer inflation accelerated to 9.1% in June, a pace not seen in more than four decades, adding pressure on the Federal Reserve to act more aggressively to slow rapid price increases throughout the economy.” But there are also reasons to think inflation will be coming down as “investor expectations of slowing economic growth world-wide have led to a decline in commodity prices,” consumer spending is shifting, and excess inventory has retailers warning “of the need to discount goods, especially apparel and home goods.”
Tags: 9.1%, Aggressively, Commodity prices, Consumer spending, Discount, Economy, Excess inventory, Expectations, Fed, Growth, Inflation, Investor, June, Price increases, Retailers, Slowing, U.S.
Investment Week (March 28)
Global dealmaking has dropped “to its lowest level since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic…. Just over $1trn of deals were struck in the first quarter of 2022, nearly a quarter less than the same period last year.” Primary factors behind slowing M&A activity appear to be “tougher regulations on both sides of the Atlantic, soaring inflation and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.”
Tags: 2022, COVID-19, Dealmaking, Global, Inflation, M&A, Outbreak, Pandemic, Q1, Regulation, Russia, Slowing, Soaring, Tougher, Ukraine, War
Wall Street Journal (January 6)
“Investors are bracing themselves for volatility in 2022. Easing supply chain snarls, potential interest rate increases and slowing growth in corporate earnings are all being closely watched. Contributing to the murky picture: a mixed economic recovery, complicated by the fast-moving Omicron variant of Covid-19, which is making it harder for investors to consider whether to readjust portfolios toward value stocks.”
Tags: 2022, COVID-19, Earnings, Growth, Interest rates, Investors, Murky, Omicron, Portfolio, Recovery, Slowing, Snarls, Supply chain, Variant, Volatility
Bloomberg (October 25)
“China’s economy risks slowing faster than global investors realize as President Xi Jinping’s push to cut its reliance on real estate and regulate sectors from education to technology combine with a power shortage and the pandemic.”
Tags: China, Economy, Education, Investors, Power shortage, Real estate, Regulate, Reliance, Risks, Sectors, Slowing, Technology, Xi
Financial Times (September 4)
“The US manufacturing sector has contracted for the first time in three years as the US-China trade war weighted on the industrial economy and added to fears over slowing domestic growth.” While one quarters manufacturing results do not necessarily lead to a US recession, “the details of yesterday’s ISM report were ugly, with new orders, production and employment sub-indices all contracting.”
Tags: China, Contracted, Fears, Growth, Industrial economy, ISM, Manufacturing, Orders, Recession, Slowing, Trade war, US
Scientific American (April 11)
The Atlantic Ocean appears be in “slow motion,” with circulation now the “weakest in 1,600 years.” If further research bears out the conclusion that “hemisphere-spanning currents are slowing, greater flooding and extreme weather could be at hand,” especially on the U.S. east coast, but possibly extending to Europe, which could battle more severe heat waves.
Tags: Atlantic, Circulation, Currents, Europe, Extreme weather, Flooding, Heat waves, Ocean, Slowing, U.S.
The Economist (January 25, 2014)
“In some ways, China’s market is still the world’s most enticing. Although it accounts for only around 8% of private consumption in the world, it contributed more than any other country to the growth of consumption in 2011-13.” But China is proving vexing to foreign firms as they find themselves subject to government whims, strong local competition, a tighter labor market and slowing growth. Some are scaling down. Others stumbling or even pulling out. “China is still a rich prize. Firms that can boost productivity, improve governance and respond to local tastes can still prosper. But the golden years are over.”
Tags: China, Competition, Consumption, Enticing, Foreign firms, Golden years, Governance, Government, Growth, Labor market, Productivity, Slowing
Wall Street Journal (July 29)
“Abenomics represents the best—and possibly the last—chance for Japan to avert a debt crisis that could set back the global recovery once more.” Around the world, everybody should hope for the success of Abenomics. If it does, “then the world’s third-biggest economy could re-emerge as a major engine of growth at a time when Europe is stagnant and China is slowing. If it fails, then Japan’s Mount Fuji of government debt could come tumbling down, sending shock waves through the global economy.”
Tags: Abenomics, China, Debt crisis, Economy, Europe, Global recovery, Growth engine, Japan, Slowing
