The one thing that stood out in Thursday’s QE announcement by the European Central Bank was how they managed market expectations, said Bob Parker, senior Advisor at Credit Suisse Asset Management. There was fear in the markets that the ECB would fail to meet expectations, but the central bank managed them very well. They came out with a program, which …
One Man’s Opinion: Will The US Economy Face Headwinds In 2015 Due To Global Weakness?
The US economy may face headwinds in 2015 and could struggle to sustain last year’s momentum due to global uncertainties despite the World Bank upgrading US growth forecast to 3.2 percent from an earlier estimate of 3 percent, said Brian Jacobsen, chief portfolio strategist at Wells Fargo Advantage Funds. The US may be an island unto itself when it comes …
One Man’s Opinion: Is The Recent Drop In US Labor Force Participation Rate Cyclical?
The US economy created 252,000 jobs in December, higher than the 220,000 that IHS Inc projected, said Nariman Behravesh, chief economist at IHS Inc. The November nonfarm payroll number was so high – which seemed fluky – that most economists thought there would be a pullback. The higher numbers indicate the recovery will continue to be solid going into 2015. …
One Man’s Opinion: Will US Stocks Struggle This Year Due To Weak Overseas Growth?
Equity market returns are going to be flat in 2015, says Jim Bianco of Bianco Research LLC. Bloomberg’s own estimate for earnings-growth is down to 6.5 percent – the lowest level since the Great Recession ended in 2008, instead of the usual 10-11 percent. On top of that, almost every guess at the beginning of the year is too high, …
One Man’s Opinion: Will Greece Experience A Real Crisis After General Elections In January?
The crucial third-round of Greek Presidential elections is due Monday and there is a 60 percent probability the ruling coalition will fail to collect the 180 votes required to elect the nation’s president, leading to general elections in January, said Holger Schmieding, chief economist at Berenberg Bank in London. If the Hellenic nation goes to polls in January, it would …
One Man’s Opinion: Have Inflation Expectations Shifted Due To Lower Oil Prices?
Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen may not be as polished as her global counterparts, but she surely managed to get the US central bank’s message across despite the initial reaction that her press conference Thursday was clumsy and messy, said Carl Tannenbaum, chief economist at Northern Trust Corp. “Patience and to let the economic outlook evolve in a proper manner, …