FRB Atlanta Sees Q4 Growth of 0.6%
A short trading week sees December 2015 Consumer Price Index released on Wednesday, January’s Philadelphia Federal Reserve (Fed) Business Outlook Survey on Thursday, and December 2015 Existing Home Sales on Friday. Consumer prices have been showing more life than other inflation readings. According to Econoday, the consensus for December is for a fourth straight 0.2% gain for the core (ex-food and ex-energy) reading. Total prices are expected to come in unchanged reflecting another expected decline for energy.
The Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta recently lowered its Fourth Quarter of 2015 growth forecast from 0.8% to 0.6% (see below). This would put Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth for 2015 at 1.8%. A print this low confirms the weakness we saw in our Fundamental Conditions Barometer for 2015. Please click here and see page 7 for a long run perspective of the WCA Fundamental Conditions Barometer.
LONG-RUN STRATEGIC POSTURE: Our macro outlook is for slow growth and stubbornly low inflation. The start of policy normalization following years of zero interest rate policy in the United States comes at a time of weakening global growth and mixed signals from the domestic economy. We continue to view the United States economy as best positioned to weather the overall weak global environment that resurfaced in 2015.
Kevin Caron, Portfolio Manager
Chad Morganlander, Portfolio Manager
Matthew Battipaglia, Analyst
Suzanne Ashley, Junior Analyst
(973) 549-4052
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The WCA Fundamental Conditions Barometer measures the breadth of changes to a wide variety of fundamental data. The barometer measures the proportion of indicators under review that are moving up or down together. A barometer reading above 50 generally indicates a more bullish environment for the economy and equities, and a lower reading implies the opposite. Quantifying changes this way helps us incorporate new facts into our near-term outlook in an objective and unbiased way. More information on the barometer is found in our latest quarterly report, available at www.washingtoncrossingadvisors.com/insights.html.