2nd Quarter GDP Revised Upward

Strength in consumer spending was shaved slightly while contraction in residential investment deepened slightly, factors however outweighed by upward revisions to both nonresidential fixed investment and government purchases with revisions to inventories and net exports also slightly favorable. The net result is a 2 tenths upward revision to second-quarter GDP to a 4.2 percent annualized rate.

Consumer spending is now at a 3.8 percent growth rate vs 4.0 percent in the first estimate. Spending on both durables and non-durables were lowered, to a still enormously strong 8.6 percent for the former and to 3.7 percent for the latter, with spending on services unchanged at 3.1 percent.

Residential investment was at minus 1.1 percent in the first estimate and is now at minus 1.6 percent in the second estimate. Nonresidential fixed investment gets a sizable 1.2 percentage point upgrade to an enormously strong 8.5 percent with components for equipment, now at 4.4 percent, and intellectual property, at 11.0 percent, both revised higher.

Inventories subtracted a little less, at $26.9 billion, as did net exports, at $843.7 billion and $6.2 billion less than the first estimate. Government purchases are upgraded 2 tenths to a 2.3 percent growth rate.

Price readings are little changed with the overall index steady at an elevated 3.0 percent with the core 1 tenth higher at 2.8 percent. These readings had been subdued before shifting higher in the second quarter underscoring the risk of overshooting by the Fed.

The second quarter, in fact, was very strong led by consumer spending, where gains reflect strong demand for labor and also this year's tax cut, and also by business spending which is getting a lift from this year's corporate tax cut. Exports were also very strong in the quarter.

The early outlook right now for the third quarter is mixed as goods exports sunk back in July in a negative offset by what looks like will be a sharp rise in July inventories. Initial indications on consumer spending from the July retail sales report are positive. Watch for more third-quarter GDP inputs, including for inflation, in Thursday's personal income & outlays report for July.