In its latest world outlook report, the IMF predicted emerging countries would average growth of 4.5 percent year-on-year in 2013, down from an estimate of 5.0 percent growth three months earlier. It also cut its outlook for emerging world growth in 2014, to 5.1 percent.
The unemployment rate in US fell and fell for some good reasons but the payroll numbers which are estimated differently were quite a bit weaker than we thought and we have some downward revisions to the previous couple of months. In addition the participation rate fell and earnings were down as well.
The share of non-investment grade paper has risen from 39 per cent in the second half of 2010 to 48.5 per cent in the first half of 2011.