US Economy Stalls in Q1

The economy in the U.S. barely grew in the first quarter, buffeted by slumps in business investment and exports after oil prices plunged and the dollar surged.

Gross domestic product, the volume of all goods and services produced, rose at a 0.2 percent annualized rate after advancing 2.2 percent the prior quarter, Commerce Department data showed Wednesday in Washington. The median forecast of 86 economists surveyed by Bloomberg called for a 1 percent gain. Consumer spending, the biggest part of the economy, rose 1.9 percent, a little better than projected.

While the restraints of harsh winter weather and delays at West Coast ports were temporary, the effects of the drop in fuel prices and stronger currency will probably prove longer-lasting. Federal Reserve officials wrapping up their meeting later in the day may signal they’re in no rush to begin raising interest rates.

“There’s not a whole lot of momentum heading into the second quarter,” said Mike Feroli, chief U.S. economist at JPMorgan Chase & Co. in New York. “We expect the economy to be better, but some of the details in this report are cautionary.”

Stock-index futures extended earlier losses after the report. The contract on the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index maturing in June dropped 0.5 percent to 2,101.7 at 8:47 a.m. in New York.

Bloomberg

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