The U.S. Economy Grew, but It’s Not as Good as It Looks

The U.S. economy grew at a surprisingly high 2.6% annual rate in the third quarter, reversing two consecutive quarters of declines. But beneath the strong headline number were signs that consumers are feeling the pinch of inflation and that the housing market has been hit by this year’s dramatic rise in interest rates.

Nevertheless, quarterly growth of this magnitude should reassure investors that the U.S. has not, at this point, been plunged into recession. Fears of an economic slowdown have been front of mind this year amid a dramatic tightening of financial conditions by the Federal Reserve. The central bank is attempting to get inflation, which is at its hottest in decades, under control by boosting interest rates.

But one quarter of growth doesn’t mean the risk of a slowdown has passed.

“The trajectory for growth looks weak,” said Jeffrey Roach, the chief economist at LPL Financial. “A deteriorating housing market and nagging inflation along with an aggressive Federal Reserve puts the economy on unsure footing for 2023.”

The market reaction was still upbeat. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was rising 375 points, or 1.2%, on Thursday.

After all, the result was a significant surprise to the upside. Economists surveyed by FactSet had estimated that the economy grew at a 2% annual rate in the three months to the end of September, following declines of 0.6% and 1.6% in the second and first quarter, respectively. The first half of the year marked a technical recession, defined as two consecutive quarters of negative gross domestic product growth.

The rise in third-quarter growth reflected net increases in exports, matching expectations that the trade deficit had narrowed as a result of a steep drop in imports, in part due to bloated inventories at some retailers. It was much fewer imports of consumer goods that led to the overall decline.

International trade dynamics may have been what ultimately delivered such strong growth in GDP, but investors would do well to examine some of the more telling components in the data.

Consumer spending increased overall, reflecting money flowing to healthcare and other services. But shoppers stopped digging as deep in their pockets to purchase goods, with data showing a deceleration of spending on cars, parts, and food and beverages. This was the third straight quarter in which goods spending fell, indicating a squeeze on consumers.

Amid signs that inflation remains persistently high—with two more interest-rate decisions due from the Federal Reserve this year—these trends are important.

As are indications that the U.S. is facing a slowdown in the housing market. GDP growth was primarily weighed down by a decrease in residential housing investment, and especially single-family home construction. The Fed’s hawkish shift on interest rates has had a knock-on effect on the mortgage market and created what some economists have called a housing recession.

The data out Thursday may be as good as it gets for a while.

“We expect 3Q22 to mark the peak in quarterly growth, as the cumulative effect of tighter monetary policy begins to push growth below potential,” said Ellen Zentner, the chief U.S. economist at Morgan Stanley. The bank expects to see GDP growth in the fourth quarter of just 0.8%.

“There’s a distinct possibility that Q3 could be the last hurrah for this post-pandemic economic expansion, as the U.S. faces material economic headwinds as a result of the Fed’s aggressive tightening cycle,” said Michael Reynolds, vice president of investment strategy at Glenmede.

The growth picture is likely to get gloomier as the full impact of the Fed’s monetary policy ripples across the economy—a process that can take many months or a year. The central bank is expected to hike rates by 75 basis points, or three quarters of a percentage point, for the fourth time since June next week. That, and another rate decision in December, will only show up in the data deep in 2023.

By that point, this year’s third quarter likely will look even better.

The marketplace has spoken and, at least for now, it’s showing preference for hybrids and plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) over battery electrics. That makes Toyota’s foot dragging on EVs (and full speed ahead on hybrids) look fairly wise, though the timeline along a bumpy road still gets us to full electrification by 2035.

Italian supercar producer Lamborghini, in business since 1963, is also proceeding, incrementally, toward battery power. In an interview, Federico Foschini , Lamborghini’s chief global marketing and sales officer, talked about the new Urus SE plug-in hybrid the company showed at its lounge in New York on Monday.

The Urus SE interior gets a larger centre screen and other updates.
Lamborghini

The Urus SE SUV will sell for US$258,000 in the U.S. (the company’s biggest market) when it goes on sale internationally in the first quarter of 2025, Foschini says.

“We’re using the contribution from the electric motor and battery to not only lower emissions but also to boost performance,” he says. “Next year, all three of our models [the others are the Revuelto, a PHEV from launch, and the continuation of the Huracán] will be available as PHEVs.”

The Euro-spec Urus SE will have a stated 37 miles of electric-only range, thanks to a 192-horsepower electric motor and a 25.9-kilowatt-hour battery, but that distance will probably be less in stricter U.S. federal testing. In electric mode, the SE can reach 81 miles per hour. With the 4-litre 620-horsepower twin-turbo V8 engine engaged, the picture is quite different. With 789 horsepower and 701 pound-feet of torque on tap, the SE—as big as it is—can reach 62 mph in 3.4 seconds and attain 193 mph. It’s marginally faster than the Urus S, but also slightly under the cutting-edge Urus Performante model. Lamborghini says the SE reduces emissions by 80% compared to a standard Urus.

Lamborghini’s Urus plans are a little complicated. The company’s order books are full through 2025, but after that it plans to ditch the S and Performante models and produce only the SE. That’s only for a year, however, because the all-electric Urus should arrive by 2029.

Lamborghini’s Federico Foschini with the Urus SE in New York.
Lamborghini

Thanks to the electric motor, the Urus SE offers all-wheel drive. The motor is situated inside the eight-speed automatic transmission, and it acts as a booster for the V8 but it can also drive the wheels on its own. The electric torque-vectoring system distributes power to the wheels that need it for improved cornering. The Urus SE has six driving modes, with variations that give a total of 11 performance options. There are carbon ceramic brakes front and rear.

To distinguish it, the Urus SE gets a new “floating” hood design and a new grille, headlights with matrix LED technology and a new lighting signature, and a redesigned bumper. There are more than 100 bodywork styling options, and 47 interior color combinations, with four embroidery types. The rear liftgate has also been restyled, with lights that connect the tail light clusters. The rear diffuser was redesigned to give 35% more downforce (compared to the Urus S) and keep the car on the road.

The Urus represents about 60% of U.S. Lamborghini sales, Foschini says, and in the early years 80% of buyers were new to the brand. Now it’s down to 70%because, as Foschini says, some happy Urus owners have upgraded to the Performante model. Lamborghini sold 3,000 cars last year in the U.S., where it has 44 dealers. Global sales were 10,112, the first time the marque went into five figures.

The average Urus buyer is 45 years old, though it’s 10 years younger in China and 10 years older in Japan. Only 10% are women, though that percentage is increasing.

“The customer base is widening, thanks to the broad appeal of the Urus—it’s a very usable car,” Foschini says. “The new buyers are successful in business, appreciate the technology, the performance, the unconventional design, and the fun-to-drive nature of the Urus.”

Maserati has two SUVs in its lineup, the Levante and the smaller Grecale. But Foschini says Lamborghini has no such plans. “A smaller SUV is not consistent with the positioning of our brand,” he says. “It’s not what we need in our portfolio now.”

It’s unclear exactly when Lamborghini will become an all-battery-electric brand. Foschini says that the Italian automaker is working with Volkswagen Group partner Porsche on e-fuel, synthetic and renewably made gasoline that could presumably extend the brand’s internal-combustion identity. But now, e-fuel is very expensive to make as it relies on wind power and captured carbon dioxide.

During Monterey Car Week in 2023, Lamborghini showed the Lanzador , a 2+2 electric concept car with high ground clearance that is headed for production. “This is the right electric vehicle for us,” Foschini says. “And the production version will look better than the concept.” The Lanzador, Lamborghini’s fourth model, should arrive in 2028.