America’s 401(k) market cap: 5 charts you need to know

The strength of the US economy can be seen in the latest data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis, which shows that gross domestic product (GDP) growth for the first quarter of 2019 was a strong 4.2% in real terms.

This is the highest growth rate since 2014, meaning the economy is on track to end the year with the fastest pace in four years.

The markets will be looking to the most recent data for confirmation of the strength of the US recovery, but while this appears to be the case, economic confidence is relatively low in the country as a whole.

Pessimism across a number of economic indicators has caused the CBOE Volatility Index (VIX) — commonly called the market’s fear gauge — to spike in recent months, with S&P 500 earnings season also coming off to a slow start as recent high-profile accounts of corporate malfeasance have hit the headlines.

In an effort to capture the mood of investors, Reuters conducted a poll among its clients, including banks, asset managers and hedge funds, to see how they were viewing the market. This is our Fast and Screwed analysis of what they think.

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