8 signs of hope for the economy

Banks are starting to trust one another again. In May, the three-month London interbank offered rate (Libor), a benchmark for interbank loans, fell below 1% for the first time on record. That was down from 1.16% a month ago and 2.51% six months prior.

John Ewan, director of the British Bankers' Association, which sets the rate, told Fortune in an email that "the continued easing of the rates demonstrates that liquidity and confidence are returning to the wholesale markets."

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