James Tisch, the chief executive officer of Loews Corp., said gains in the world’s largest economy may be sluggish again this year.

Economic conditions in the U.S. have been “challenging, with the pace of recovery sluggish and intermittent,” Tisch said today in a conference call held by the New York-based company. “We expect more of the same for 2013.”

To contact the reporter on this story: Elizabeth Bunn in New York at Ebunn1@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Dan Kraut at dkraut2@bloomberg.net