Asian Fund Managers Turn More Optimistic on Growth but Curb Equity Return Expectations: BofA Survey 
Asian Currencies Slip as Dollar Strengthens; Indian Rupee Rebounds on Intervention Hopes 
Oil Prices Climb on Venezuela Blockade, Russia Sanctions Fears, and Supply Risks 
U.S. Stock Futures Slip After CPI-Fueled Rally as Markets Weigh Economic Uncertainty 
Trump Orders Blockade of Sanctioned Oil Tankers, Raising Venezuela Tensions and Oil Prices 
Austan Goolsbee Signals Potential for More Fed Rate Cuts as Inflation Shows Improvement 
Gold Prices Fall Amid Rate Jitters; Copper Steady as China Stimulus Eyed 
BoE Set to Cut Rates as UK Inflation Slows, but Further Easing Likely Limited 
Asian Markets Rebound as Tech Rally Lifts Wall Street, Investors Brace for BOJ Rate Hike 
U.S. Stocks End Week Higher as Tech Rally Offsets Consumer Weakness 
The United States economy is currently in a solid expansion state and for the first time since the 2008/09 ‘Great Recession,’ the U.S. is close to expanding at its long-term growth rate of 3.25 percent. While the uncertainties surrounding the U.S. mid-term election, President Trump’s Iran policies, and trade tension led to a loss of trillions of dollars in the stock market in October, hard data suggest that the economy remains well into an expansionary phase.
In October, the U.S. benchmark stock index, S&P 500 declined sharply from its high of about 8 percent, pushing the index (SPX500) from 2940 to 2700 area, but at the same time job numbers continued to point to solid expansion.
According to data from ADP, the U.S. economy added 227,000 new jobs in October, with 38,000 jobs being created in the goods-producing sectors. The GDP estimate also points to expansion. According to the latest reading, Atlanta Fed’s ‘GDP Now’ model is forecasting a 3 percent growth in the final quarter of the year, revised up from 2.6 percent. The U.S. economy has growth 2 percent in the first quarter of 2018, 4.2 percent in the second, and by 3.5 percent in the third quarter of this year.
