Very few countries are going to match this stimulus — it’s huge. It’s a very strong step and puts them in a commanding position in setting an example to other economies.

Nicholas Lardy, senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics in Washington.

The stimulus here was 1 percent of GDP, and there, it’s 16 percent of GDP. It is a big deal and therefore is a note of optimism especially for the global economy. And we’re all hopeful that it will help U.S. stocks as well, especially raw materials.

—Bruce McCain, chief investment strategist at Key Private Bank in Cleveland, which manages $30 billion

We’re going to see a lot of corporate grief. We’ll see companies laying off a lot of people and the market reflecting a lack of confidence in a lot of companies’ values.

—Harvey Pitt, former chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission