Tipping points and the economy

The global economy continues to slow. But there are signs that more supportive policies, including a dovish U.S. Federal Reserve, will keep growth within a certain range. In the United States, there is scope for more conflict between President Trump and Congress as negotiations continue over government funding and border security. In late January, Trump signed a short-term spending bill into law, ending the longest government shutdown in history amid a fight over building a border wall. However, the conflict has affected consumer confidence.

Across the pond, the eurozone's economy is suffering its biggest slowdown in half a decade, raising questions over whether the European Central Bank (ECB) will be able to raise interest rates in 2019. Meanwhile, China's economy may stabilize as the central bank continues to take steps to cushion the slowdown. The United States and China launched new trade talks, fueling hope that the tariff conflict would soon be resolved. The outcomes of the issues mentioned above could be enough to tip the global economic outlook one way or another.