How well does the private sector forecast output growth? This paper provides evidence on this question using data from the publication Consensus Forecasts. The evidence is useful for a number of reasons. First, many industrialized countries are in the midst of long expansions, and the question of when these expansions will come to an end is being debated. Many private forecasters have issued rosy predictions for growth in the major industrialized countries and for several developing countries as well. Can these predictions be trusted? How good are forecasters at predicting recessions? Second, private sector capital flows have supplanted official funds as the dominant form of external financing for many countries. Hence, private sector assessments of the relative macroeconomic outlook for various countries play a role in guiding the allocation of capital across the globe
Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references (pages 31-32)
Notes
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