CATERPILLAR: This Is What The World Will Be Like In 2013

Caterpillar, a global manufacturing powerhouse, is a reliable bellwether of economic conditions around the world.

This morning, the company announced better-than-expected 4Q financial sales and earnings.

The company also published its detailed outlook for the global economy, commenting on everything from interest rates, commodity prices, central bank policy, and emerging markets.

"Overall, we expect the world economy will begin the year with weak growth and improve as 2013 unfolds," they write. "We anticipate overall world economic growth of at least 2.5 percent—a small improvement from our estimate of 2.3 percent for 2012."