Visualizing How The Global Economy Played Out In 2015
Many people start a new year with renewed optimism. However, "New Year, Same Problems" is the meme of 2016... and recent trading has dashed some of that optimistic 'This time it's different' hope.
NEW YEAR, SAME PROBLEMS
Most investors and central bankers find themselves between a rock and a hard place to start 2016.
The Federal Reserve finally raised rates in December, but mainly in the interest of preserving credibility.
While unemployment itself has looked good enough and there has been some wage growth, the labor force participation is at 62.5%, which is essentially its lowest mark since 1977. Meanwhile, the stock market has been volatile, junk bonds have been hammered, and manufacturing contracted in December at the fastest pace in the U.S. in more than six years.
Most major central banks still have rates close to zero, which gives little policy ammunition for any additional stimulus. The flipside of these record-low rates has been soaring (or extremely bubbly) asset prices that have failed to trickle down to Main Street.
A slowing China and general oversupply has led to slumping commodity prices.
Oil has been hammered down to its lowest price since 2003. Copper is trading at $2/lb, which is comparable to its price during the Financial Crisis. These low input prices, in theory, are great for consumers and manufacturers. In reality, however, they usually mean that economic growth is grinding to a halt.
It’s hard to say where markets will turn in 2016, but for now it will continue to be much of the same volatility until the picture becomes clearer.
Original graphic by: The Straits Times
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pfft
Slower growth in China and the U.S. led investment bank Goldman Sachs to cut its S&P 500 forecast for the rest of 2015 to 2,000 from a price target of 2,100, Bloomberg reported. http://hedgeaccordingly.com/2015/09/sp-500-forecast-lowered-for-rest-of-...
yeah, raze the roof. woop woop!
I can't imagine anyone starting the year with re newed optimism unless they are under the age of 10.
Meanwhile, here's a cheery little item from today's Financial Times of London.
I'm hoping SOMEBODY in the MSM will follow up on this looming shitstorm, 'cause this is really the first substantive report I've seen on the topic.
http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/2f23839c-b320-11e5-8358-9a82b43f6b2f.html...
Just like Janet's ass, the problems that the Fed has created are only getting bigger by the day.
How about the 'toilet' ?