Tag Archive for ‘macroeconomics’

Federal Open Market Committee December Meeting – The Devil is in the Details

“In their discussion of their economic forecasts, participants emphasized their considerable uncertainty about the timing, size, and composition of any future fiscal and other economic policy initiatives as well as about how those polices might affect aggregate demand and supply. Several participants pointed out that, depending on the mix of tax, spending, regulatory, and other possible policy changes, economic growth… Read More ›

Third Look at GDP Growth in the Third Quarter

The Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) released the third estimate of real GDP growth for the third quarter of 2016. Real GDP grew at a 3.5% seasonally adjusted annual rate, slightly better than the second estimate of 3.2%. Growth was 1.4% in the second quarter. The upward revision was based largely on slightly faster growth in personal consumption expenditures (PCE)… Read More ›

First Look at GDP Growth in the Third Quarter – Mind the Details

The Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) released the “advance” estimate of real GDP growth for the third quarter of 2016 with the standard caveat that this estimate “is based on source data that are incomplete or subject to further revision by the source agency.” That combined with some concentrated strengths and lingering weaknesses makes the apparent improvement over last quarter… Read More ›

A Third Look at GDP Growth in the Second Quarter

The Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) released the third estimate of real GDP growth for the second quarter of 2016. Real GDP grew at a 1.4% seasonally adjusted annual rate, up modestly from the 1.1% previous estimate. Personal consumption expenditures were slightly weaker, investment was less negative based on less drag from the energy sector and equipment spending, government spending… Read More ›

A Second Look at GDP Growth in the Second Quarter

The Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) released the second estimate of real GDP growth for the second quarter of 2016 based on more complete source data than was available for the advance estimate. Real GDP grew at a 1.1% seasonally adjusted annual rate, little changed from the 1.2% earlier estimate. The revisions were mixed, consumer spending was slightly stronger, investment… Read More ›

GDP Growth in the First Quarter – Double, Double Oil and Trouble

The Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) released the advance estimate of real GDP growth in the first quarter of 2016, reporting a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 0.5%. Economic growth has declined steadily from its recent peak of 3.9% in the second quarter of 2015. Declining activity was broad based enough to be troubling: slowing personal consumption expenditures (PCE), declines… Read More ›

GDP Growth in the Fourth Quarter – Getting Better

The Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) released the third estimate of real GDP growth in the fourth quarter of 2015, reporting a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.4%. The three separate estimates for the quarter, based on increasingly better (more complete) data, moved GDP growth from 0.7% to 1.0% to 1.4%. The latest revisions reflect faster growth of personal consumption… Read More ›