Cautious Optimism on the Global Economy at Quinnipiac University's G.A.M.E. III Forum in New York

News provided by

Apr 04, 2013, 04:47 ET

NEW YORK, April 4, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The U.S. and global economies are slowly recovering from the economic crisis of 2008, and consumer confidence is growing. Uncertainty about government policies and stubborn unemployment levels remain as obstacles. That was the consensus of a high-level panel of experts on the first day of the Quinnipiac University's third annual Global Asset Management Education (G.A.M.E.) III Forum at the Hilton Hotel Midtown.

"Business profits are pretty good, but hirings are not there yet," said Frank Hatheway, chief economist at NASDAQ OMX Group, Inc. "We don't yet have the level of employment normally seen at this stage of the business cycle." Hatheway called for stimulating the sector with government job retraining programs "so we can start creating 400,000 jobs a month, not 150,000."

Hatheway was one of four keynotes on the morning "Global Economy" panel, and his bullish outlook was shared. According to another speaker, Bob Doll, chief equity strategist and senior portfolio manager at Nuveen Asset Management, "The world economy is slowly, irrevocably improving." Looking at the U.S. economy, Doll said that "the business sector is in pretty good shape, and corporations are now willing to spend a little more on hiring workers, investing and paying dividends. We're seeing sustainable momentum."

That momentum hasn't yet taken hold in Europe. Doll said the European economy is likely to remain in recession for the year. In contrast, he said that economic growth in China "has achieved a soft landing."

Building on that, Larry Adam, managing director and chief investment strategist at Deutsche Bank Private Wealth, said a large percentage of global economic growth is now coming from the developing world. Adam said that although GDP growth in the U.S. is "volatile" and somewhat uneven, the Federal Reserve under Chairman Ben Bernanke "will get a very good grade" for its handling of the economic crisis (particularly in the early years post-2008.) He cited as positive signs increasing levels of consumer confidence, low energy costs and no uptick in inflation or commodity prices.

With due diligence, investors should consider putting some of their assets into the developing world, said John Silva, managing director and chief economist at Wells Fargo Securities, LLC. "The fundamentals really matter," he said. "You have to look at the framework of countries' fiscal and monetary policies."

Silva cited Brazil and Turkey as examples of nations often overlooked by investors that have notably business-friendly climates. He said that corporate operations are increasingly global, citing the availability of Coke Zero in Bhutan and a T.G.I. Friday's restaurant in Dubai.

The investment conference's first day also included panels addressing "Alternative Assets vs. Equities," "Global Markets" "Corporate Governance" and the "Federal Reserve Perspective."

The forum, founded by Quinnipiac School of Business finance professor David Sauer, attracted 1,000 student participants from 44 states and 33 countries, representing 118 universities to hear 120 speakers over two and a half days. Quinnipiac students helped organize the event, and take part in extensive Q&A sessions with the speakers.

SOURCE Quinnipiac University