9 charts that sum up markets and the economy in 2015 (WFC)

REUTERS/Fredy Builes

It was a big year for the market, both in the US and abroad.

The Fed hiked rates, China devalued the yuan, and oil kept on crashing.

Looking back on 2015, Wells Fargo analysts shared some of their favorite charts showing the economic and financial trends that shaped 2015.

We cherry-picked a few particularly striking ones and shared them below. 

As long as the US continues to grow, everyone can relax about a China slowdown.

Wells Fargo

What the China slowdown means for the global economy was everyone's favorite scary question of 2015 — especially after we saw major commodities exporters like Brazil go haywire after the yuan's devaluation.

But "the US economy has roughly twice the effect on global value added (i.e. wages, salaries, and profits worldwide) as the Chinese economy," according to Wells Fargo analysts. "As long as the US economy continues to expand, which we expect it will, then the global economy should continue to grow as well."

 

Source: Wells Fargo

Manufacturing and services went in different directions in the US.

Wells Fargo

Crashing energy prices, a weaker global economy, and dollar appreciation all hampered the production side of the US economy in 2015.

"That said, domestic services are expanding at a healthy clip," note Wells Fargo analysts. "This is reflected in the strength in real private final sales to domestic purchasers." 

 

Source: Wells Fargo

The US economy finally surpassed its pre-recession full-time employment peak.

Wells Fargo

"Over the past two years, full-time employment has growth robustly, rising by 4.4 million jobs since the beginning of 2014," according to Wells Fargo analysts. "Although we expect job growth to moderate a bit in 2016, full-time jobs should continue to grow at steady clip, which should improve income growth and eliminate remaining labor market slack." 

 

Source: Wells Fargo

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