First, dear readers, an apology. We’ve been pretty consumed with the live launch of the Markets Hub, and that combined with our regular job, the Market Talk service for the Newswires, plus features like The Upshot, has pretty much given us no time lately to write for this blog.
But, we do have a post today, or rather, a cross post, of something I wrote for the MarketBeat blog over at WSJ.com. And, look, if you’re a regular reader of this blog, and like the mix of opinion and analysis we’ve offered here, I’d recommend you start watching the Markets Hub, live daily at 10:30 a.m. on wsj.com.
Here’s the post:
How many more body blows can the global economy absorb? Three more? Two? One?
Japan’s economic recovery is “a thing of the past,” at least according to Japan’s Cabinet Office, which said so in its monthly report. It shouldn’t come as a surprise, given what the Japanese have endured over the past month, and officials are hopeful that the economy can regain its footing by the end of the year.
The combined earthquake/tsunami/nuclear crisis is more than most nations could handle, and we hope for nothing but the best for the Japanese people. But when the world’s third largest economy sees its economy stall, it should be a red flag for everybody.
There are other red flags, too. The U.S. economy limped into the end of the first quarter, as consumers contended with flat wages (should they be lucky enough to have wages at all) and rising prices.
