A Strong Start to the Year The S&P 500 has risen by almost 7% so far in 2012, causing investors to wonder whether the economy is slowly improving or whether this growth was merely the result of the January effect. Global economic news have generally been positive-it included China’s slight drop in fourth-quarter GDP (as
A Look Back: Stocks Surge on Improving Economic Data U.S. equities staged a significant comeback during the fourth quarter with the S&P 500 Index gaining 11.8%. This performance followed a dismal third quarter that saw major indices around the world fall double digits due to worries about the global economy, the possibility of a double
2011: A Look Back 2011 ended with the S&P 500 almost flat after a tumultuous year. As Europe continued to be of concern, markets loved the coordinated central bank maneuver that ensured liquidity across global financial systems in order to calm panicky investors. Although a global economic slowdown is very real, given the possibility of
A Stronger U.S. Economy Strong retail sales, an improving employment report, falling gasoline prices, and rising auto sales all painted a picture of a stronger U.S. economy these past few weeks. GDP: Consumer Demand Expected To Remain High GDP for the third quarter was revised downward to 2.0% from 2.5%, based on a larger-than-estimated inventory