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Friday, April 27, 2018

BEA: Real GDP increased at 2.3% Annualized Rate in Q1

by Calculated Risk on 4/27/2018 08:34:00 AM

From the BEA: Gross Domestic Product: First Quarter 2018 (Advance Estimate)

Real gross domestic product (GDP) increased at an annual rate of 2.3 percent in the first quarter of 2018, according to the "advance" estimate released by the Bureau of Economic Analysis. In the fourth quarter, real GDP increased 2.9 percent.
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The increase in real GDP in the first quarter reflected positive contributions from nonresidential fixed investment, personal consumption expenditures (PCE), exports, private inventory investment, federal government spending, and state and local government spending. Imports, which are a subtraction in the calculation of GDP, increased.

The deceleration in real GDP growth in the first quarter reflected decelerations in PCE, residential fixed investment, exports, and state and local government spending. These movements were partly offset by an upturn in private inventory investment. Imports, which are a subtraction in the calculation of GDP, decelerated.
emphasis added
The advance Q1 GDP report, with 2.3% annualized growth, was above expectations.

Personal consumption expenditures (PCE) increased at 1.1% annualized rate in Q1, down from 4.0% in Q4 (this is weak).   Residential investment (RI) was unchanged in Q1. Equipment investment increased at a 4.7% annualized rate, and investment in non-residential structures increased at a 12.3% pace.

I'll have more later ...