Central banks, trade, bubbles threaten 2018's Goldilocks

London

AFTER a year of relatively healthy global economic growth, economists are predicting pretty much the same for 2018 - a neither too-hot nor too-cold Goldilocks scenario, but with little sight of the three bears.

The idea is that all is pretty much on track for growth that will be stronger than in 2017. Part of this may come from the fact that forecasters generally got it wrong last year, underclubbing this year's economic performance, particularly for the eurozone and Japan.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF), for example, saw 2017 global growth at 3.4 per cent with advanced economies advancing 1.8 per cent. It now reckons them at 3.6 per cent and 2.2 per cent.

It had the eurozone and Japan growing 1.5 per cent and 0.6 per cent, respectively. It now has them at 2.1 p…