Americans like to start a new year with optimism. And if the stock market is a true indicator, many business investors began 2011 with some optimism. The stock market had big gains on the first business day of the year.
Investors call that the “January barometer.” We hope they’re right, that the upturn is lasting, and that things financial will go right throughout the rest of the year.
But it won’t be easy. Our federal government is taxing too much, spending too much and running huge deficits. Unemployment is far too high. These are reasons for some pessimism, even as we hope for signs of optimism as well.
But 2011 will be what we make it, and surely will be interesting, economically speaking.