Investopedia / Mira Norian An economic cycle is the overall state of the economy as it goes through four stages: expansion, peak, contraction, and trough. An economic cycle, also known as a ...

In it, Shiskin says that a healthy economy expands over time, so two consecutive quarters of slowed growth suggest an underlying problem. The NBER's Business Cycle Committee is the authority on ...

Cyclical stocks fluctuate with the economic cycle, performing well in expansions ... Image source: Getty Images. The economy has been in an expansion phase for the past several years.