No, We're Not Living in a "Mad Max" World
By John Persinos
During this year's presidential race, you're hearing a lot of doom-and-gloom descriptions about the state of our country and its economy. Listening to some of the lurid political rhetoric, you'd think the U.S. currently resembles the dystopian action film Mad Max.
But it just ain't so. If you make investment decisions based on these false narratives, you'll lose money. Here are the facts: The economy, stock market, businesses, and consumers are doing well. Below, I'll show you how to position your portfolio for what promises to be a prosperous year.
Let's start with the latest U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) report, for the fourth quarter and full-year 2023, which was released on January 25.
According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA), the U.S. economy grew 2.5% year-over-year in 2023. That represents robust growth indeed, for a year when many experts predicted a recession. The economy grew by only 1.9% in 2022 (see chart).

Here's a breakdown of U.S. GDP growth in 2023 by quarter: Q4: 3.3%; Q3: 4.9%; Q2: 2.1%; and Q1: 2.2%. American carnage? Hardly.
Meanwhile, inflation has dramatically fallen, the Federal Reserve has reached the end of its tightening cycle, corporate earnings growth is bouncing back, the unemployment rate hovers at a 50-year low, and consumer spending has been strong.
Read More...
没有评论:
发表评论