US Economy

The US has reignited geopolitical tensions with Iran, even as the trade war with China goes on. While there are signs of a broader global economic recovery, central banks have little room to manoeuvre if growth stalls again.

(Nov 18): Will the slowdown in business investments derail the US economy? This has been one of the biggest worries for investors. Despite resilient GDP growth, many continue to fret over the imminent end of what is now the longest expansionary cycle on r

SINGAPORE (Nov 4): Proposals for a broad tax on wealth are not new, but they are receiving renewed attention in the US. Steadily increasing income and wealth inequality has raised social and ethical concerns, even among a subset of the wealthy. This trend

SINGAPORE (Aug 26): Haven assets reigned as traders returned to their desks Monday after an action-packed weekend that saw tensions between the US and China ratchet up again.

SINGAPORE (July 1): In December 2015, the US Federal Reserve raised interest rates for the first time in a long while. This ended the unprecedented era of ultra-accommodative monetary policies deemed necessary to resuscitate economies after the 2008/09 gl

(June 19): It appears that the US is entering the slowdown phase of the economic cycle. But what might that mean for returns across asset classes? And can a recession be avoided?

SINGAPORE (June 10): For some time, the four horsemen of US macroeconomic policymaking have been taxation, regulation, trade and infrastructure. Having studied the first in detail, I have found tax cuts to be a positive contributor to economic growth. Tho

SINGAPORE (May 27): National politics in the US has become enslaved to macroeconomic indicators that have little bearing on true well-being. For many commentators, the snapshot growth rate of 3.2% for the first quarter of 2019, coupled with a decline in t

SINGAPORE (Dec 24): The US economy enjoyed one of its most robust performances when it reported its fastest rate of GDP growth in nearly four years in 2Q2018. The strong growth, which was driven by higher fiscal spending and tax cuts, should have extended

WASHINGTON (Dec 24): Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin called top executives from the six largest US banks over the weekend, he said Sunday on Twitter, a move that followed heavy losses in the stock market last week and a partial federal government shutdo