The crux of the recession

The stock markets got off to a surprisingly good start this stock market year. The Dax has gained over seven percent since the beginning of January, the broad US index S&P 500 has gained a good six percent, and the technology-heavy Nasdaq has even risen by ten percent. Shortly before the next meeting of the US Federal Reserve (Fed) next Wednesday, Wall Street will therefore be intensively discussing whether the good mood can continue.

The good growth figures from the United States support this. The US economy grew an annualized 2.9 percent in the fourth quarter – slightly stronger than expected. That only gave the US markets a temporary boost on Thursday. After initial price gains, the leading index Dow Jones slipped slightly into the red. In Germany, the Dax closed around 0.3 percent up.