Simply Economics

Eurozone data are increasingly positive with fourth-quarter GDP tracking at a 2.5 percent pace while 3.0 percent GDP is a safe call right now for the U.S. where manufacturing, housing, and possibly even consumer spending all show strength.

It was a good year for the economies around the world as growth in Europe and the U.S. improved while China and Japan held steady.

Capacity constraints and overheating are the risks facing the Fed, factors that are not at play in Europe where stable policy is the call.

Major sticking points over Irish borders pose new threats to Brexit, while a major tax cut for the U.S. means new stimulus at a time of full employment.

Eurozone updates are due this week for inflation and economic sentiment while the focus in Japan is consumer spending. In the U.S., advance data hint at slower fourth-quarter growth though home sales are up and consumer confidence keeps making new highs.

A rudderless government in Germany isn't a plus for the euro, while empty seats at the Fed and a raging stock market raise questions for the U.S.

Eurozone growth is on a broad upswing though wage-push inflation remains subdued, roughly in line with the U.S. though the latest inflation numbers out of Washington do hint at an upswing.

The changing membership of the Fed’s leadership and the policy outlooks for the Bank of England and Reserve Bank of Australia headline the discussion.

The Bank of Japan and the European Central Bank are stimulating their economies more so than the Bank of England or the Federal Reserve. Our panel discusses growth, employment, inflation and other factors at play.

The European Central Bank on Thursday may once again taper their quantitative easing program though the risk of a stronger euro could limit their move. In the U.S., economic data have been building steam as have tax cuts and the naming of a new Fed chair.