Recession, Second Recession | featured news

An acceleration in the pace of U.S. economic growth in the second half of this year is expected to ebb as 2012 gets underway, although the odds of another recession have receded to one-in-four, a Reuters poll showed on Wednesday.

The economy grew at an annual rate of 2.5% in the three months ending Sept. 30, the government reported, easing fears that the nation would fall into a second recession but still too slow a pace to cut significantly into the high unemployment rate.

Another recession isn't likely over the next 12 months. Neither is any meaningful improvement in the economy.

U.S. stocks edged higher, bolstered by U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke's comments that the economy is unlikely to slide into a second recession, but worries about European finances persisted after Fitch Ratings warned that the U.K. faces budget challenges.