The U.S. economy expanded at an annualized 3.2% rate during the first quarter of 2019, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors assessment of data released today by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. The pace of growth exceeded expectations, as many economists predicted growth would be closer to 2.5%.
Growth was fueled by myriad factors, including personal consumption expenditures, private inventory investment, surprisingly rapid growth in exports, state and local government spending and intellectual property. However, residential investment declined.
