U.S. Growth Cools to 2.3% as Gains in Consumer Spending Ease

• April 27, 2018
• realestate
• Announcements, Business & Markets, Real Estate, Real Estate Finance, Your Real Estate Life

U.S. economic growth cooled last quarter as consumers pulled back following outsize spending in the prior period, though solid business investment cushioned some of the weakness.

Gross domestic product, the value of all goods and services produced in the nation, rose at a 2.3 percent annualized rate after climbing 2.9 percent in the prior quarter, the Commerce Department reported Friday. The median forecast of economists surveyed called for a 2 percent gain. Consumer spending, the biggest part of the economy, rose 1.1 percent, matching estimates and marking the smallest gain since 2013.

While GDP growth was the best for any January-March period since 2015, it’s a step down from three quarters of GDP growth above or near 3 percent, and a reminder that the first quarter remains plagued by data quirks. Analysts expect a rebound as tax cuts take hold amid a strong job market, though tailwinds such as low inflation and borrowing costs are starting to dissipate, and trade tensions represent a headwind.