France Teeters on the Brink of Recession

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By Trey Thoelcke Published
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It may not seem like much, but France’s INSEE reported that third-quarter gross domestic product was higher by 0.1%, not the 0.2% preliminary number. GDP contracted in the second quarter. France’s economy continues to hug a flat line. A recession could be triggered by more weakness in the EU nations or a recession in the U.S. brought on by the fiscal cliff.

INSEE reports:

In 2012 Q3, French gross domestic product (GDP) in volume terms rose by 0.1%, after a 0.1% decrease over the previous quarter.

Household consumption expenditure recovered (+0.2% after –0.2%) while gross fixed capital formation (GFCF) decreased (–0.3% after +0.4%). Overall, total domestic demand (excluding inventory changes) contributed positively to GDP: 0.2 percentage point after 0.1 percentage point. Imports fell (–0.5% after +1.6%) and exports slightly accelerated (+0.6% after +0.3%). Hence, the foreign trade balance contributed positively to GDP growth: 0.3 percentage point (after –0.4 percentage point). This contribution is offset by changes in inventories contribution: –0.4 percentage point in Q3, after +0.2 point.

Douglas A. McIntyre

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About the Author Trey Thoelcke →

Trey has been an editor and author at 24/7 Wall St. for more than a decade, where he has published thousands of articles analyzing corporate earnings, dividend stocks, short interest, insider buying, private equity, and market trends. His comprehensive coverage spans the full spectrum of financial markets, from blue-chip stalwarts to emerging growth companies.

Beyond 24/7 Wall St., Trey has created and edited financial content for Benzinga and AOL's BloggingStocks, contributing additional hundreds of articles to the investment community. He previously oversaw the 24/7 Climate Insights site, managing editorial operations and content strategy, and currently oversees and creates content for My Investing News.

Trey's editorial expertise extends across multiple publishing environments. He served as production editor at Dearborn Financial Publishing and development editor at Kaplan, where he helped shape financial education materials. Earlier in his career, he worked as a writer-producer at SVE. His freelance editing portfolio includes work for prestigious clients such as Sage Publications, Rand McNally, the Institute for Supply Management, the American Library Association, Eggplant Literary Productions, and Spiegel.

Outside of financial journalism, Trey writes fiction and has been an active member of the writing community for years, overseeing a long-running critique group and moderating workshop sessions at regional conventions. He lives with his family in an old house in the Midwest.

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