The Barclays Capital U.S. Aggregate Bond Index is an investment-grade domestic bond index.

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"An uncertain economic outlook, and the inadequacy of policy to counter this, has weakened aggregate demand, holding back investment and hiring, " ILO director general Guy Ryder said.

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Private businesses, which number about 27 million and account for over 54 percent of aggregate non-residential fixed investment, need clarity on how the debt will be reined in.

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Look behind the aggregate numbers, however, and investment is less robust.

ECONOMIST: The American economy

The Barclays Capital U.S. Aggregate Bond Market Index and the newer U.S. Aggregate Float Adjusted Index are composed of investment grade U.S. bonds.

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The discount is the gap between the net aggregate value of investments and the lower valuation placed on the investment trust itself.

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The current interest rate on investment grade bonds, as measured by the Barclays Capital Aggregate Bond Market index is 2.0 percent.

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Japan's economy will again slow down unless the investment pickup is sustained and is buttressed by another source of aggregate demand.

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On this measure, then, American shares in the aggregate are paying a lower rate of return than a perfectly safe alternative investment.

ECONOMIST: Shared values

The fund gained 1.32% Monday, outperforming its benchmark, the Lehman Brothers U.S. Aggregate Index, by 0.51 percentage point, according to Chicago investment-research firm Morningstar Inc.

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