EFTA00351235.pdf

From: "Standard & Poor's Ratings Services" < Subject: From Beth Ann Bovino: S&P's U.S. Weekly Economic Roundup: Getting Better Slowly But Surely Date: Mon, 16 Mar 201515:28:01 +0000 Click here to view on a mobile device or as a webpage. REconomic Research U.S. Weekly Economic Roundup: Getting Better Slowly But Surely March 16, 2015 RBovino_email Beth Ann Bovino U.S. Chief Economist Standard & Poor's Ratings Services Dear colleague, :n fourth-quarter 2014, U.S. households saw the largest increase in their net worth since ourth-quarter 2013. While far from being equally distributed, household net worth is ow 26% higher than its 2007 pre-recession peak, mainly due to the strong stock market •ally in recent years. Meanwhile, the U.S. household debt-to-income ratio fell to its owest level since 2002 as consumers continued to deleverage as their disposable income ncreased. We believe that household balance sheets will improve further in the coming quarter as stock prices continue to rise and labor market conditions improve. We expect he improvements in the financial condition of U.S. households to drive solid consumer pending growth in 2015. To access this week's full report and view additional economic research, please visit If you have any questions, please contact me or my colleague Satyam Panday, U.S. Economist, at 212-438-6099. Sincerely, Beth Ann Bovino U.S. Chief Economist Standard & Poor's Ratings Services 212-438-1652 Visit a free, interactive, and informative portal to access highlights from our credit research offerings. Consider this your portal to perspective: Regulatory Affairs and Disclaimers I Privacy and Cookie Notice I Terms of Use EFTA00351235 Copyright O 2015 by Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC. 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