W HEN AMERICA , the hub of global capital, is this far into an economic expansion and a bull market, investors feel two conflicting impulses. They hope that the good times will last, so they are reluctant to pull their money out. They also worry that the party may suddenly end. This is the late-cycle mindset. It reacts to occasional growth scares—about trade wars or corporate debt or some other upset. But it tends not to take them seriously for long.
Investors have, sensibly, tried to calculate which assets are most exposed to the shock. Copper, an economic bellwether, plunged. The worst-hit stocks were of firms that rely on far-flung supply chains, such as carmakers; or are directly affected by restrictions on travel, such as airlines; or are most exposed to a China-led global slowdown, such as oil firms. Investors scrambled for safe assets. Gold reached a seven-year high. The dollar rallied.
Quite a lot has been going on:
America's nightmare - Bernie Sanders, nominee | Leaders | The Economist
S OMETIMES PEOPLE wake from a bad dream only to discover that they are still asleep and that the nightmare goes on. This is the prospect facing America if, as seems increasingly likely, the Democrats nominate Bernie Sanders as the person to rouse America from President Donald Trump's first term. Mr Sanders won the primary in New Hampshire, almost won in Iowa, trounced his rivals in Nevada and is polling well in South Carolina.
Moderate Democrats worry that nominating Mr Sanders would cost them the election. This newspaper worries that forcing Americans to decide between him and Mr Trump would result in an appalling choice with no good outcome. It will surprise nobody that we disagree with a self-described democratic socialist over economics, but that is just the start. Because Mr Sanders is so convinced that he is morally right, he has a dangerous tendency to put ends before means.
The information economy - Rethinking how we value data | Finance and economics | The Economist
E VERYONE KNOWS that data are worth something. The biggest companies in the world base their businesses on them. Artificial-intelligence algorithms guzzle them in droves. But data are not like normal traded goods and services, such as apples and haircuts. They can be used time and again, like public goods. They also have spillover effects, both positive, such as helping to improve health care, and negative, such as breaches of personal information. That makes them far from easy to value.
Construction Economics for March 2, 2020 | 2020-02-27 | Engineering News-Record
ENR’s 20-city average cost indexes, wages and materials prices. Historical data and details for ENR’s 20 cities can be found at ENR.com/economics
Not to change the topic here:
Economists Are Wrong: Inflation For Most Is A Crushing Presence, Not An Inconvenience
US Federal Reserve Bank Chairman Jerome Powell speaks at a press conference in Washington, DC, on ... [+] December 11, 2019. - Powell said Wednesday he would want to see a "significant" and "persistent" inflation rise before he would raise rates to clamp down on prices. For now, the Fed's benchmark interest rate "is appropriate and will remain appropriate" until there is a change in the outlook, he said.
The why is selective inflation that, even at "low" levels, adds, bit by bit, to crush people with incomes that never keep up.
Final Reading: Economic incentive program lacks accountability - VTDigger
Rep. Emilie Kornheiser, D-Brattleboro, the bill’s co-sponsor, says she’s not sure “if economic incentive programs like this are the best tool available to grow our economy.”
* * *
Kornheiser, a member of the House Commerce and Economic Development Committee, which is considering H.640, was on hand to witness the evisceration of her bill by colleagues and economic development leaders.
“I’m open to a conversation about how to do better, but we need to know what you’re trying to accomplish,” Sullivan said.
Could COVID-19 coronavirus trigger a European economic recession? | Euronews
It's already influenced stock markets, with the FTSE 100, the French CAC and the German DAX falling nearly 3% on Thursday.
If they continue to fall, it could influence consumers whose wealth is tied to the stock market and impact spending.
Stocks fell as the virus continued to spread overseas with Italy confirming hundreds of cases of the novel coronavirus COVID-19 and placing nearly twelve towns on lockdown in the north of the country last weekend.
Economists Share Hopeful Forecast for Local Economy - Business Journal Daily
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – This time a year ago, the forthcoming end of General Motors' manufacturing presence in the Mahoning Valley cast a pall over the local economy. While economists pointed to positive indicators – a low rate of unemployment, low interest rates and increasing consumer confidence – the loss was at the forefront of many people's minds.
But by the end of the year, Lordstown Motors Corp. had purchased the Lordstown plant and GM announced a partnership with LG Chem to build a $2.3 billion battery plant nearby. Their arrivals – Lordstown Motors intends to be in production by the end of the year – could herald the beginning of a new chapter.
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