"...we think that Q1 GDP was an aberration, and is not representative of the strengthening underlying trend in US growth." There is nothing we can add to such brilliant weatherman insight as what Jan Hatzius from Goldman just unleashed on the unwitting muppets (all of whom can't wait for Goldman's second above-consensus GDP forecast to pan out... unlike the last time in 2010). In brief: Goldman just boosted their Q2 tracking GDP from 3.8% to 4.0% because Q1 GDP imploded. And scene.
BOTTOM LINE: Q1 GDP was revised down even more than expected, mainly due to lower-than-expected healthcare spending. The May durable goods report was a bit weaker than expected, although inventories rose more than expected. We increased our Q2 GDP tracking estimate by two-tenths to 4.0%.
1. Q1 GDP was revised to -2.9% in the third estimate (vs. consensus -1.8%), from -1.0% previously. The downward revision was concentrated in two categories: healthcare spending subtracted 1.2 percentage points (pp) relative to the second estimate, while net exports subtracted 0.6 pp. All other components of GDP combined contributed a further one-tenth to the revision. We had anticipated downward revisions to both healthcare spending and net exports—in particular in light of the weak healthcare numbers in the Q1 Quarterly Services Survey—but the extent of these revisions was larger than we expected. As we noted in yesterday's US Daily, we think that Q1 GDP was an aberration, and is not representative of the strengthening underlying trend in US growth.
2. Headline durable goods orders fell 1.0% in May (vs. consensus flat). Within the typically volatile categories, a large decline in defense orders (-31.4%) and a modest decline in non-defense aircraft (-4.0%) pulled down the headline figure. Core capital goods orders rose 0.7% (vs. consensus +0.5%) and core capital goods shipments—used by the Commerce Department to calculate the equipment investment component of the GDP report—rose 0.4% (vs. consensus +1.0%) in May. Growth in durable manufacturing inventories grew 1.0% in May and was revised up two-tenths to 0.3% in April.
3. We increased our Q2 GDP tracking estimate by two-tenths to 4.0%.
Baghdad Bob is spinning in his grave.