GDP enjoyed a second consecutive quarter of robust growth during the summer. Here are the five things we learned from U.S. economic data released during the week ending October 27.
The U.S. economy expanded solidly during Q3. The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew a seasonally adjusted annualized rate (SAAR) of 3.0 percent during the months of July, August, and September. This follows the Bureau of Economic Analysis’ estimate of GDP growing 3.1 percent during Q2, marking the two best consecutive quarters of economic growth since the second and third quarters of 2014. Positive contributors to Q3 economic growth were consumption (adding 162-basis points to GDP growth), the change in private inventory accumulation (+73-basis points), business fixed investment (+49-basis points), exports (+28-basis points), imports (+12-basis points), and federal government expenditures (+8-basis points). Dragging down Q3 GDP growth were residential fixed investment (cost 24-basis points in GDP growth) and state/local government expenditures (-9-basis points). The BEA report did not contain any comment on whether the recent hurricanes had hindered overall economic growth. The BEA will revise its estimate of Q3 GDP growth twice over the next two months.
Economic activity appears to have improved in September. The Chicago Fed National Activity Index (CFNAI), a weighted index of 85 economic indicators, jumped by 54-basis points to a reading of +0.17. (A reading of 0.00 would have indicated economic growth at the historical average.) This was the measure’s best reading since June. Fifty-four of the CFNAI’s components improved from the August’ readings, with all four major categories of components advancing during the month. Among the big 4 categories, the largest surge came from those related to production with its contribution to CFNAI rising from -0.33 in August to +0.10 in September. Much smaller improvements came with components related to employment (up five-basis points to +0.06), personal consumption/housing (up four-basis points to -0.07), and sales/orders/inventories (up a basis point to +0.07). The CFNAI’s three-month moving average—which smooths out some of the month-to-month volatility in the index—held steady at a reading of -0.16.
Durable goods orders grew in September. The Census Bureau tells us that new orders for manufactured durable goods blossomed 2.2 percent during the month to a seasonally adjusted $238.7 billion. Some of the gain comes from a sharp 31.5 percent increase in new orders for civilian aircraft. Transportation goods gained 5.1 percent for the month, also reflecting smaller increased orders for defense aircraft (+0.7 percent) and motor vehicles (+0.1 percent). Net of transportation goods, core durable goods orders increased 0.7 percent during September, matching its August gain and just below its July increase of 0.8 percent. Rising during the month were new orders for communications equipment (+4.8 percent) and fabricated metal products (+1.7 percent). New orders fell for computers/related products (-5.5 percent), machinery (-0.2 percent), and primary metals (-0.1 percent). Durable goods shipments grew for the fourth time in five months with a 1.0 percent bounce to $240.5 billion. Net of transportation goods, durable goods shipments increased 1.2 percent. Growing for the first time in three months was the value of unfilled orders (+0.2 percent) while durable goods orders inventories expanded for the 14th time in fifteen months (+0.5 percent).
New home sales jumped during September. Per the Census Bureau, new home sales rose 18.9 percent during the month to a seasonally adjusted annualized rate (SAAR) of 667,000 units. This was the fastest pace of new home sales since right before the start of the last recession in October 2007. Sales jumped by double-digit percentages in three of four Census regions: Northeast (+33.3 percent), South (+25.8 percent), and Midwest (+10.6 percent). Sales grew by a more modest 2.9 percent in the West. New home sales were 17.0 percent above their September 2016 pace. There were 279,000 new homes available for sale at the end of September, matching the count from the prior month but up 15.3 percent from a year earlier. This translated into a 5.0-month supply (its lowest point since March).
Consumer sentiment surged to a 17 year high in October. The University of Michigan’s Index of Consumer jumped 5.6 points during the month to a seasonally adjusted 100.7. This was up 13.5 points from the same month a year earlier and the measure’s best reading since November 2000. Indices for both current and expectations both rose from their September mark, with the former up 4.8 points to 116.5 and the latter adding 6.1 points to 90.5. The current conditions index has not been this high since May 2000 while the expectations index hit its best reading since January 2015. The press statement noted that more than half of survey respondents “expected good times during the year ahead and anticipated the expansion to continue uninterrupted over the next five years.”
Other U.S. economic data released over the past week:
– Jobless Claims (week ending October 21, 2017, First-Time Claims, seasonally adjusted): 233,000 (+10,000 vs. previous week; -22,000 vs. the same week a year earlier). 4-week moving average: 239,500 (-5.0% vs. the same week a year earlier).
– Pending Home Sales (September 2017, Index (2001=100), seasonally adjusted): 106.0 (unchanged vs. August 2017; -3.5% vs. September 2016).
– FHFA House Price (August 2017, Purchase-Only Index, seasonally adjusted): +0.7% vs. July 2017; +6.6% vs. August 2016).
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What We Learned About the U.S. Economy Last Week 