The U.S. economy grew at a lackluster 1.3% annual rate from January through March as businesses wary of an economic slowdown trimmed their inventories, the government said Thursday, a slight upgrade from its initial estimate.

The government had previously estimated that the economy grew at a 1.1% annual rate last quarter.

The Commerce Department's revised measure of growth in the nation's gross domestic product — the economy’s total output of goods and services — marked a deceleration from the second half of 2022.

Despite the first-quarter slowdown, consumer spending, which accounts for around 70% of America's economic output, rose at a healthy pace.

The steady weakening of economic growth is a consequence of the Federal Reserve’s aggressive drive to tame inflation, with 10 interest rate hikes over the past 14 months. Across the economy, the Fed’s rate increase have elevated the costs of auto loans, credit card borrowing and business loans.

With mortgage rates having doubled over the past year, the real estate market has already taken a beating: Investment in housing fell from January through March. In April, sales of existing homes were 23% below their level a year earlier.

Share:
More In Business
Disney Q3 Earnings Dragged Down by Slowing Subscriber Growth
Mike Proulx, VP and research director at Forrester, joined Cheddar to talk all about Disney's lackluster Q3 earnings after the company reported a slowdown in Disney+ subscriber growth. Proulx discussed a Forrester study that found 45 percent of U.S. adults subscribed to streaming services because of the pandemic but 26 percent had plans to cancel a service over the next two years. "We're always going to look at growth, and we also have to look at engagement," he said. "But both of those metrics come down to having either original or exclusive content that will offer value to the subscriber base."
Rivian's Stellar IPO a Good Sign for Growing EV Market
Anthony Sassine, a senior investment strategist at KraneShares, joined Cheddar to discuss Rivian's historic public debut after the company achieved an $86 billion valuation — more than either Ford or GM. He said the big IPO was a great opportunity for the U.S. to position itself as a leader in the EV space after lagging behind Europe and China. "When you have certainty for growth for the next 10 to 15 years, investors are willing to pay more," he said. "So, this is a massive opportunity for the whole space."
AMC CEO Adam Aron to Unload More Than One Million Company Shares
Adam Aron, CEO of the theater chain and meme stock AMC, filed to sell off 1.25 million shares in the company ahead of his 67th birthday. Aron cited proposals in Congress looking to raise capital gains tax rates behind his decision to diversify his assets as a part of his estate planning.
Load More