The Year of the Horse in 2014 (a wooden male apparently) is seen by Chinese astrologers as positive and outgoing although potentially short tempered!
Quite how that translates into global finances is rather unknown. However let's put this into some perspective. We are now nearly six years on from the financial collapse, and from teetering on the edge of Armageddon, the global economy has shown some significant signs of healing albeit under a generous regime of support and stimulants.
So 2014 sees a Euro-zone economy showing nascent signs of recovery although the festering issue of damaged banks and weaker government finances for some, will continue to cast a pall over the markets. In the UK the government has been rejoicing over the signs of green shoots but even here, they are careful not to overstate the recovery.
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The USA will see its seemingly intractable battles between the Democrats and Republicans gain further heat as they head towards their midterm confrontations and elections. Despite that, growth is still coming through. For the Federal Reserve the challenge will be managing QE support and its effects on markets and the economy.
In China the refocusing of the economy will continue. For outsiders, we should continue to be suitably cynical over the data we are fed. As a developing economy China will continue to grow, although the exuberant graphs of just a few years ago are not going to be fulfilled. While they may have avoided the worst of a hard landing, they may feel as though they are wading through a somewhat sticky swamp.
Then to Japan, where the sheaf of arrows of Abe San will continue to have their effect. The question for 2014 will be whether they are seen to have had any positive impact? The signs are encouraging but by no means certain. So this coming Year of the Horse may be no galloper, but at least it seems saddled and ready to ride in a recovering global economy. There will be "events" but hopefully not enough to "scare the horses".