U.S. economy at mid-year: signs are positive, but hurdles remain

The U.S. economy appears to be stabilizing, but several, formidable hurdles remain.

A litany of numbers, including existing / new home sales, durable goods orders, factory orders, consumer confidence, and consumer spending all display signs of a recession that's forming a bottom. Hence, Americans can head into their 4th of July holiday next weekend reasonably confident that the worst is over – concerning most metrics – regarding the U.S. recession.