The world economy has once again dodged Armageddon. The European Union finally forged a Greek bond deal, and a rescue fund big enough to ring-fence banks and sovereign debt, in order to avoid a catastrophic, Lehman-like contagion event. At the same time, the U.S. economy moved away from the threat of recession with a third-quarter real GDP report of 2.5 percent. In response, stocks are soaring. We’ll live to see another day.
First the American economy. Led by surging business investment of highly profitable corporations and a modest gain in consumer spending, the new GDP report says “no” to a double-dip recession. As the economy stalled out in the first half of the year — with 0.4 percent GDP growth in the winter quarter, 1.3 percent growth in the spring, and August data showing zero jobs and retail sales — I warned nearly two months ago that we were on the front end of recession. Turns out I was too pessimistic.
Profits-rich business is the savior.
Read my full column here.