U.S. economic growth may accelerate in 2012

Rising consumer confidence, decrease in unemployment claims and better retail sales indicate the U.S. economy is gaining steam, despite hurdles in Europe and much of the rest of the world.

"There is a sense of decoupling," said Harris, chief economist at UBS Securities in New York, whose team was the most accurate in forecasting the U.S. economy in the two years through September. "We can still have a decent year here in the U.S. even with the rest of the world slowing down."