As the US economy powers ahead, defying countless warnings of a recession, you may wonder, as I do: how did we avoid this long-predicted downturn? Odd as it may sound, there are some parallels to be found in the 2008 film, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.

Movie buffs will remember that the title character, played by Brad Pitt, ages in reverse – from an old man to a young child. The US economy is on a similar path, reverting to a time of solid, sustainable growth.

Financial Times