On the verge of the 2001 recession, in February 2001, the real-time
data showed GDP growth declining to 1.1% (green line). But with the Fed
cutting rates, the S&P 500 saw a one-and-a-half-month 19% spurt in
April-May, even as the recession tightened its grip.
And in November 2007, on the cusp of the Great Recession, real-time
data showed GDP growth surging to 4.9% (red line). Only in the years
following the recession did revisions cut it down to less than half that
initial reading.
The point is that, at least in real time, the strength of GDP growth
does not tell us whether a recession is about to hit. It is only long
after the fact, following repeated revisions, that the GDP data becomes
more informative about the timing of the recession.
While the current cycle’s recent 2.6% GDP growth print – tracking
right in-between the 2001 and 2007 trajectories – was well received by
many economic prognosticators (blue line), by no means does it rule out a
looming recession.
In principle, GDP is a coincident indicator of the economy, with no real predictive value. But because more than half of
the initial GDP estimate is based on survey data and the extrapolation
of recent trends, the initial vintages of GDP are often misleading,
especially around business cycle turning points.
This helps explain why it is often only well after a recession has
begun that revisions to GDP data show an economic contraction in
progress. Until then, the consensus may be wrongly persuaded that the
coast is clear.
This is a key reason why good leading indexes are so valuable. Unlike
GDP, ECRI’s leading indexes avoid major revisions over time, most
crucially with regard to their cyclical timing and directional calls.
Consequently, we were able to call the 2001 recession and Great
Recession on a timely basis.
Worst Start To A Year For Jobless In A Decade by Tyler Durden Thu, 03/28/2019 - 15:27 Something's not quite right... 何か全くおかしい・・・ With economic data disappointing en masse and US equity earnings expectations plummeting, talking heads have one last leg left on the stool of buy-and-hold - jobs, jobs, jobs! The unemployment rate (low), participation rate (people coming back into the workforce), wage growth (rising at fastest pace in 10 years), initial jobless claims (back near multi-decade lows), and JOLTS (more jobs offered than people available). 経済データは大きく失望するものであり、米国株式予想収益は下落している、皆が buy-and-holdで気になるのは、雇用、雇用、雇用だ! 失業率(これは低い)、労働参加率(労働力に戻り始めている)、給与(この10年でもっとも急速に増えてる)、新規失業率申請数(ここ数十年来の低位だ)、そしてJOLTS求人労働異動調査(求職よりも求人が多い)。 ...
The US Consumer Just Hit A Brick Wall: Here's Why In 15 Charts by Tyler Durden Tue, 03/05/2019 - 17:05 When it comes to the growth dynamo behind the global economy, nobody can match the US consumer - not even China: accounting for trillions in annual spending, the US consumer, who represents roughly 70% of US GDP, is also responsible for roughly 17% of global GDP, slightly ahead of the entire country of China. 世界経済の成長エンジンを議論する時、米国消費以上のものはないーー中国ではない:年間トリリオンドルを米国消費者は使っている、これが米国GDPの70%、そして世界GDPの17%を占める、中国全GDPよりも大きい。 However, as recent economic data has shown, the future of the US consumer is suddenly looking ominously cloudy, for two big reasons: rising interest rates, which as Deutsche Bank notes are "beginning to bite" as observed in the number of working hours in sector selling big ticket items... しかしながら最近の経済デ...