Macro Briefing: 7 June 2024

* The number of zombie companies (debt-laden firms) in the world has surged
* The US debt problem may be less threatening than it appears
* China exports rise sharply in May amid increasing trade tensions
* ECB cuts interest rates for first time since 2019
* US jobless claims edged higher last week but remain low
* US trade deficit widened in April
* US 10-year Treasury yield stabilizes after 5 days of sharp declines:

Stabilizing US debt as a percentage of the economy (GDP) over the next 30 years would require raising taxes or cutting spending by 2.1% of GDP, estimates the Center for American Progress (CAP), a think tank. “If Congress renews the Trump tax package, the fiscal gap will grow from 2.1 percent of GDP to 3.3 percent of GDP, making debt ratio stabilization 54 percent harder,” write Bobby Kogan and Jessica Vela in a research note for CAP.