The US economy closed out 2009 on a high note, growing at a rate of 5.9 percent over the final three months. This was slightly better than the Commerce Department’s estimate of 5.7 percent but experts say the economy will not maintain the torrid pace into 2010.
Much of the growth can be attributed to a one-time boost to manufacturing as businesses re-stocked inventories they had allowed to decline during the worst of the recession. While overall growth is expected to be positive during 2010, critics point to the recent drop in consumer confidence, unemployment that continues to run at 9.7 percent, and a record fate of foreclosures as evidence that growth prospects remain weak.
Source: Associated Press
Crude oil is poised for the biggest monthly advance since October as the U.S. economy starts to recover and fuel inventories fall.
Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke said this week the U.S. economy is in a “nascent” recovery. The U.K. emerged from recession in the fourth quarter at a faster pace than previously estimated, a report today showed. The amount of crude stored in tankers fell to 25 million barrels this month from levels of more than 80 million barrels last year, Poten & Partners said.
“Oil has recovered because of the first signs of economic growth,” said Christopher Bellew, senior broker at Bache Commodities Ltd. in London. “Stocks in floating storage have been diminishing.”
Crude oil for April delivery advanced 28 cents, or 0.4 percent, to $78.45 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange as of 10:52 a.m. in London. A close at that level would mean an increase this month of 7.6 percent.
Bloomberg
Switzerland’s leading KOF economic growth barometer rose to its highest since December 2007 in February, beating analysts’ expectations and confirming views that the economy was on track for a solid recovery.
The barometer increased to 1.87 points in February, the KOF Swiss Economic Institute said, more than the 1.80 reading forecast by analysts ECONCH. January’s reading was revised up to 1.81 from 1.77.
The barometer surged last year, though the monthly increases have slowed recently, indicating that the recovery would likely continue at a slower pace. Switzerland emerged from the worst recession in decades over the summer and several recent indicators have pointed to further recovery, though economists expect joblessness to peak later
this year.
Reuters
