29 March 2001, 17:32 US GDP-OVERVIEW
--US Q4 GDP revised to +1.0% from +1.1%
--US Q4 final sales revised to +1.7% from +1.5%
--US Q4 consumer spending unrevised at +2.8%
--US Q4 government spending revised to +2.9% from +2.7%
--US Q4 capital spending revised to -0.1% from -0.6%
--US Q4 GDP PCE price index unrevised at +1.9%
--US Q4 core GDP PCE price index unrevised at +1.6%
--Q4 GDP price deflator revised to +2.0% from +1.9%
--US Q4 GDP growth lowest since Q2 1995
--US net exports subtracted 0.6 pt from Q4 GDP
--US net inventories to subtract 0.6 pt from Q4 GDP; revised from -0.5
pt
By Simon Kennedy
Washington, March 29 (BridgeNews) - U.S. gross domestic product grew
just 1.0% in the final quarter of 2000, the slowest growth since the
second quarter of 1995 and below the 1.1% previously estimated and
expected by analysts. "The small downward revision to fourth-quarter real
GDP reflected downward revisions to inventory investment and exports of
goods," the Commerce Department said.
* * *
This is the third and final reading of fourth-quarter GDP.
While the data underscores the weakness of the economy in the closing
months of last year, analysts are now focusing on how it fared in the
first quarter of this year. The first reading of first-quarter GDP will be
released by Commerce on April 27. A BridgeNews poll of economists last
week, projected GDP to grow just 0.6% in January through March.
The Federal Reserve has sought to boost the economy by slashing
interest rates 150 basis points since Jan. 3 and has indicated it stands
ready to lower borrowing costs further from the current 5.0%.
REVISIONS:
--Net exports of goods and services subtracted 0.6 percentage point
from GDP growth, unrevised from the previous report. Exports fell 6.4%
while imports fell 1.2%.
--Total inventories, subtracted a revised 0.6 percentage point from
GDP, previously reported as cutting growth by 0.5 percentage point.
--Capital spending, the hallmark of the economic boom, fell 0.1%,
compared with the 0.6% decline last reported.
--Business spending on equipment and software fell at an annual rate
of 3.3%, under the 3.5% drop previously reported.
--Consumer spending, which accounts for around two-thirds of output,
rose at an unrevised annual rate of 2.8%. Final sales--gross domestic
product minus inventory investment--grew at a revised 3.7% annual pace,
compared with the previous estimate of up 1.5%. Final sales to domestic
purchasers, an indication of the strength of underlying demand in an
economy, was up 4.1%, compared with the previous estimate of up 2.1%.
--Government spending rose a revised 2.9%, compared with 2.7% rise
when last reported. Federal government spending rose 3.8%, compared with
the 3.7% increase previously reported.
INFLATION
Inflation was mostly unrevised in this report, although the implicit
price deflator was marked up to 2.0% from the 1.9% previously reported for
the fourth quarter. The consumer spending price index rose at a 1.9%,
while the core consumer spending price index was up 1.6%.
WHAT WAS EXPECTED:
The BridgeNews survey of economists' estimates for Thursday's revised
GDP figure ranged from up 0.9% to up 1.1%. The final sales projections
ranged from up 1.3% to up 1.9% with the consensus at up 1.5%. The PCE
index was expected by to rise 1.9%, while the price deflator was pegged at 1.9% in a rangeof 1.9% to 2.0%. End
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