Second-quarter growth points to a US economy in fine stead, driven by investment spending. Revisions show the savings rate is healthier than thought.US GDP grew 4.1% in the second quarter q-o-q (seasonally adjusted annualised reading, or SAAR), according to the first estimate, up from a revised 2.2% in Q1-2018 (2.0% previously). This is the strongest q-o-q reading since Q3 2014. But there was no particular ‘wow’ effect since the market had expected 4.2%. The y-o-y print, a more accurate and...
Read More »The US economy was not firing on all cylinders in 2017
The US economy was not firing on all cylinders in 2017, but this could change with the tax cuts.This is a good time to take stock of how well the US economy did in 2017. Assuming Q4 GDP is in line with the current estimate from the Atlanta Fed (which is close to our own), 2017 growth will be 2.3%. This would mark a step-up from annual growth of 1.5% in 2016 – when the sharp drop in oil prices hit investment and the wider economy hard – but would be close to the growth trajectory seen since...
Read More »Strong U.S. GDP report conceals softness of some components
3Q GDP growth was flattered by a temporary surge in soybean exports, while consumer spending was disappointing. However, our 2016 and 2017 growth forecasts remain unchanged.On the back of a temporary surge in exports, real US GDP grew by a strong 2.9% in Q3, above consensus expectations. Our yearly average forecasts that US GDP will grow by 1.5% in 2016 and 2.0% in 2017 remain unchanged. The robust rate of expansion in Q3 needs to put in proper context. First, it is partly linked to a...
Read More »Soft US GDP figures cause us to cut 2016 growth forecast
Disappointing GDP growth in the second quarter and downward revisions for the previous two quarters mean we are revising our GDP forecast for the US. US GDP grew by a surprisingly soft 1.2% (quarter on quarter, q-o-q, annualised) in Q2, well below consensus expectations of 2.5%. Moreover, growth in Q4 2015 and Q1 2016 was revised noticeably lower. Year-on-year growth in Q1 was revised down from 2.1% to 1.6%. In Q2, consumer spending grew by a strong 4.2% and final demand by a healthy 2.0%....
Read More »US Q1 growth disappoints, but improvement likely
Macroview Growth continued to be dampened by a strong dollar, a collapse in oil sector investment and falling inventories, but prospects still relatively healthy Read the full report here US real GDP, buffeted by numerous headwinds and lacking momentum, grew by a feeble 0.5% in Q1 2016. Seasonality factors mean the first-quarter GDP growth rate can be very volatile, but Q1 growth was a clear disappointment overall, particularly as growth in Q4 2015 was already soft (+1.4% q-o-q...
Read More »United States: soft growth in Q4, but a serious downturn remains unlikely
The economy ended last year with soft momentum, and the sharp tightening in US financial and monetary conditions will undoubtedly weigh on US economic growth over the coming months. However, we remain upbeat about consumption and the housing sector. US real GDP, curbed by lower stockbuilding and a slowdown in consumption growth, grew by a soft 0.7% in Q4. We have cut our forecast for 2016. However, we still expect reasonably healthy growth (2.0%). In Q4 2015, US real GDP grew by a weak...
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