http://money.cnn.com/2018/01/30/news/economy/gdp-europe-economy-2017/index.html
Sure, the United States is growing at a nice clip. But Europe's economy is expanding at an even faster rate.
Economic growth in the 19 countries that use the euro currency was 2.5% in 2017, according to official data published Tuesday. Growth in the 28-member European Union also reached 2.5% last year.
It's the best period of growth for both groupings since 2007, putting Europe just ahead of the 2.3% expansion posted by the U.S. in 2017.
Europe, which has suffered years of anemic growth caused by a series of debt crises, is part of a global economic resurgence that could continue in 2018.
"Anything the U.S. economy can do the eurozone economy can do, slightly better it seems," said Jacob Deppe, head of trading at online currency broker Infinox Capital.
"With both the U.S. and eurozone growing in tandem and with Asian economies on a roll, the hope is that 2018 delivers continued growth, further confidence and economic stability for the first time in a decade," he added.
The improving economic picture in Europe helped boost the euro to $1.25 this month, an increase of 21% from its low of $1.03 at the start of 2017.
Things in Europe aren't perfect, however.
Unemployment is falling but remains high among young workers, and that's still holding back some countries.
Integrating migrants remains an economic and political challenge. And the region's aging population presents numerous challenges for health care systems and national pensions.
Investors got a look at some data for specific countries on Tuesday.
France's economy grew by 1.9% last year, according to its national statistics agency. That's up from 1.1% in 2016.
Growth in Poland hit 4.6%, a major improvement on the 2.8% rate posted in 2016.
It's actually scary how quickly the US dollar is tanking against both the euro and the British pound. I was in Europe in November and noticed how little I got for my dollars since my previous trip, and the dollar has continued it's free fall since then.
Now I know a weaker dollar makes US goods more affordable to foreign markets, which can be good for US manufacturing, but it also makes raw materials more expensive. Historically when the dollar is strong, the US economy is booming and the US dollar becomes a desirable place for investors to put their money (US debt is cheaper to service, which helps us).
Anyway, if you are planning a trip to Europe, plan on everything costing 20% more than a year ago and hopefully the dollar will stop it's free fall soon.
I read a global market recap from one of the investment houses over the weekend. I'm not at home so can't search my internet history. I'll see if I can find it and post the numbers.
It wasn't as interesting as I remembered - https://www.capitalgroup.com/content/dam/cgc/shared-content/documents/reports/WMR_CG_2017.pdf
When do they look to potentially revise the US quarterly (and annual) GDP figures? Seemed 4th qrt was a little lower than expected, but what do I know.
My financial adviser has been very bullish on international stocks - it paid off pretty well last year....... 
The international stocks are a little cheaper than the US market....
I have some mutual funds from what seems like another lifetime ago. For a few years now I've been selling 1% a month and going into fixed income municipal bonds and then I like trying to find some exciting US REITs and some domestic energy, construction and service companies trying to reflect my personal believes. I don't really want to profit off of multinational and foreign corporations when I don't agree with how they are making their earnings. It may not mean the best returns, but I want to stick to what I believe. If I do everything possible to not buy imported products, I certainly can't be making money off of investments with them. And it does really feel good to sell into a bull market instead of a bear market! Might not be what some would recommend, but we all have to do what makes sense to us.
They have socially conscious investing, somebody needs to come up with some kind of patriotic investing. Best I could figure so far was to invest in communities over corporations.
I have some mutual funds from what seems like another lifetime ago. For a few years now I've been selling 1% a month and going into fixed income municipal bonds and then I like trying to find some exciting US REITs and some domestic energy, construction and service companies trying to reflect my personal believes. I don't really want to profit off of multinational and foreign corporations when I don't agree with how they are making their earnings. It may not mean the best returns, but I want to stick to what I believe. If I do everything possible to not buy imported products, I certainly can't be making money off of investments with them. And it does really feel good to sell into a bull market instead of a bear market! Might not be what some would recommend, but we all have to do what makes sense to us.
They have socially conscious investing, somebody needs to come up with some kind of patriotic investing. Best I could figure so far was to invest in communities over corporations.
"socially conscious investing"
The concept of intelligent and prosperous investing is lost on the left.
President Trump's economy is rocking and the left hates it.
Okay, the left hates our country.
Mule, you really have no idea what you are talking about or who you are talking to.
Now I'm on the left!
For your information, socially conscious investing doesn't invest in things like tobacco, alcohol, gambling, etc - the type of things overly religious people try to avoid.
I'm all for tobacco and alcohol and gambling personally!!
You are lost dude.
Mule, you really have no idea what you are talking about or who you are talking to.
Now I'm on the left!
For your information, socially conscious investing doesn't invest in things like tobacco, alcohol, gambling, etc - the type of things overly religious people try to avoid.
I'm all for tobacco and alcohol and gambling personally!!
You are lost dude.
"socially conscious investing doesn't invest in" jobs for the people or a robust economy.
Your little irrelevant " tobacco, alcohol, gambling" has nothing to do with the American economy rocking under the leadership of President Trump.
Mule, you really have no idea what you are talking about or who you are talking to.
Now I'm on the left!
For your information, socially conscious investing doesn't invest in things like tobacco, alcohol, gambling, etc - the type of things overly religious people try to avoid.
I'm all for tobacco and alcohol and gambling personally!!
You are lost dude.
"socially conscious investing doesn't invest in" jobs for the people or a robust economy.
Your little irrelevant " tobacco, alcohol, gambling" has nothing to do with the American economy rocking under the leadership of President Trump.
So, is Europe's economy outperforming the USA's in 2017 due to Trump as well? Maybe it is indirectly due to Trump pulling us out of the Paris Agreement. They should send him a thank you note.
Europe is reaching a plateau, their excessive regulation will throttle any further growth. The US however, is just picking up speed. Good play to invest in international markets because when the US does well, the rest of the world benefits.
Europe is reaching a plateau, their excessive regulation will throttle any further growth. The US however, is just picking up speed. Good play to invest in international markets because when the US does well, the rest of the world benefits.
What makes you think Europe is reaching a plateau? The free fall of the US dollar vs the euto and the pound suggest otherwise.
And by the way, the "rockin" economic growith in the US last year is almost identical to the growth in the US economy over the last 8 years. And those new jobs added last year that Trump bragged about last night was the lowest new job growth in 6 years.
We will have to see what happens now with the new tax plan, but the currency market tells me that more people are betting on Europe than the USA.
Europe is reaching a plateau, their excessive regulation will throttle any further growth. The US however, is just picking up speed. Good play to invest in international markets because when the US does well, the rest of the world benefits.
You know that Europe is reaching a plateau because....please fill in the blanks.
Just curious - do you have an education and / or background in economics?
Just my opinion , i am not an economist. My most recent 401k statement I had a 29.7% rate of return with a mix of stocks in large cap an emerging markets to name a few.
Did you atleast stay at a Holiday Inn Express maybe?
Just my opinion , i am not an economist. My most recent 401k statement I had a 29.7% rate of return with a mix of stocks in large cap an emerging markets to name a few.
Do you know for a fact that your 401K is invested only in domestic stocks? Most people know what funds they are invested in but not where those financial companies invest your money.
emerging markets = not domestic
Now Mule goes after people on his side, and calls them lefties ..... priceless ..........
His Russian bot script must have gotten confused......... 😛
I have some mutual funds from what seems like another lifetime ago. For a few years now I've been selling 1% a month and going into fixed income municipal bonds and then I like trying to find some exciting US REITs and some domestic energy, construction and service companies trying to reflect my personal believes. I don't really want to profit off of multinational and foreign corporations when I don't agree with how they are making their earnings. It may not mean the best returns, but I want to stick to what I believe. If I do everything possible to not buy imported products, I certainly can't be making money off of investments with them. And it does really feel good to sell into a bull market instead of a bear market! Might not be what some would recommend, but we all have to do what makes sense to us.
They have socially conscious investing, somebody needs to come up with some kind of patriotic investing. Best I could figure so far was to invest in communities over corporations.
Guess I should have been more specific - I don't own any individual stocks or bonds, just funds. Since I am already retired, I am about at 50-50 on stock funds and bond funds. It's all about diversification. Many of the foreign markets are not as over valued as the US market. We have about a 50-50 split on US and foreign stock funds. We did very well last year, but of course not as well as we would have done with all stocks. Luckily, that also means that when the correction finally comes we won't lose as much either.....
You are right Sang, cover your bases as best you see fit. I wasn't really addressing you or anyone with my post, I just wanted to state my philosophy on things.
So your bonds are in a bond mutual fund? I like owning individual laddered bonds. With the bond mutual fund you pay the expense ratio every year - with the individual bond, you pay the transaction cost or commisshion once up front and in the situations I've looked at it works out less to own the individual. I have a guy who loves the bond funds, probably because they pay him. I don't like the bond funds, I like holding the individual issues. There is alot that goes into interest rates that is over my head - I guess that is where you say just leave it to the experts, and I do, I leave it to the brokers to buy and manage what they see. Still think it is different than a bond fund manager who is trying to boost the overall fund performance and has to take some longer terms or higher risk to get the advertised rate of return. I just like to buy and hold the individual bond, collect my interest and get the principle back at the end of the term.
Other than that, my stock picks just satisfy some desire to gamble a bit. Equity mutual funds are the way to go for most, but they are boring at the same time and you aren't able to make your views felt much, I never felt any attachment or appeal with a mutual fund. When I decide to buy an individual stock, I really feel invested in the decision and outcome because I made the decision to buy it - I own the up or down on it.
Hope it all works out for you Sang and glad to hear you are diversified. While market dips aren't predictable, the fact there will be dips are and you don't want to be holding all equities when that happens.
[Edited on 2/2/2018 by nebish]
You are also younger than I am, so it makes more sense for you to be a little more risky...... I also own a couple of short term CD's just to get a little more interest than savings accounts to hedge against inflation - which may also be coming.......
RUN FOR THE HILLS..................! 😛
