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.