By Robin Wigglesworth
A slew of economic news and data has come out over the past 24 hours, some good, some bad, and some outright ugly. But if one thing is clear, the economic recovery of advanced economies is far from assured. Here are five highlights, and things to keep in mind.
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1: Markets believe the Fed will keep stimulating the economy
Janet Yellen, the nominee for the Federal Reserve chairmanship, will highlight now the US economy is performing “far short” of its potential at her Senate testimony on Thursday, according to prepared remarks released on Wednesday evening. Deutsche Bank’s Jim Reid points out that while the “tones are certainly dovish, it’s impossible to infer precise policy thoughts from her remarks”. That hasn’t stopped financial markets from rallying on the hope that the presumptive new Fed chairwoman will keep pumping money into the global economy for longer than previously expected.
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