The document provides an overview of various economic metrics and trends including:
1) Key stock market indexes and bond yields declined over the past quarter but have shown growth over the past year.
2) Worldwide and US M&A activity is up sharply year-to-date, though concerns exist that credit issues could slow future deals.
3) Private equity continues to outperform public markets and charge high fees, though most funds commit a modest percentage of assets.
3) US economic growth has declined steadily over the past decades and has not exceeded 4% since 2000, which may constrain stock market returns.