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Although the recovery is slower than expected in April, the FOMC statement laid out a re-acceleration of the economy in H2 2011 and into 2012. The slowdown is likely temporary, QE3 is possible but the hurdle for it remains high as Bernanke said in the press conference.
There are two headwinds abroad in my mind in addition to domestic problems in the housing sector, balance sheet and deleveraging issues as Bernanke mentioned.
1) The European debt issue, the events in Greece at the moment in particular, places a significant threat to global recovery. Greece can not be saved by the tools we have now, default or restructuring is unavoidable. But when? It is a political issue beyond what economists can do.
2) China's slow down is another threat. The slow down due to the high inflation is less severe and emergent than the problems in US and EU. A rate hike in June/July is widely expected but the pace is as small as last time and the real rate is still negative. Uncertainty dominates the market since a credit bubble burst will be another much bigger story.
OK
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