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The numbers show it, I don't feel it

While sentiment among investors and analysts has picked up, anecdotal sentiment among ordinary people still seems weak. Why the disconnect?

THE numbers, it must be said, are looking good.

The US economy has been growing at over 2 per cent, Europe was actually growing faster than the US in the first quarter, and Asia is growing at around 5 per cent. Sentiment for manufacturers, based on various surveys, is buoyant all-round.

No wonder analysts have taken to calling 2017 the year of the synchronised global recovery. Reflation is a buzzword. Interest rates might finally go up.

At home, property seems to be enjoying a revival. Office rents seem to be bottoming. In the region, things feel downright heated in cities like Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Ho Chi Minh City and Bangkok.

In the broader corporate sector, earnings forecasts are being...

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