The first week of 2016 has brought sinking temperatures and stocks–and now weaker estimates of economic growth for the fourth quarter.
Before Monday, the U.S. economy appeared to have ended 2015 on solid, though unspectacular, footing. Many economists were estimating that the nation’s gross domestic product–or the sum of all goods and services produced–grew at an annual pace of roughly 2% in October through December. That would match the third quarter’s pace and fall roughly in line with average growth throughout the current expansion.
But those estimates are falling, due to weak readings Monday morning on the nation’s manufacturing and construction activity, two key drivers of economic growth.
The Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta said Monday it now believes fourth-quarter GDPgrew at just a 0.7% pace, down from a prior estimate of 1.3% growth. J.P. Morgan Chase cut its estimate in half to 1% growth from 2%. Forecasting firmMacroeconomic Advisers lowered its estimate by three-tenths of a percentage point to 1.1%.
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