Thursday, October 28, 2021

3Q GDP - Even Worse Than It Looks

 GDP for 3Q21 was today reported as growing 2% (annualized), lower than expectations of 2.7%. Yet, the number was higher than the latest GDPNow estimate from the Atlanta Fed which was updated yesterday as 0.2%. That’s a pretty large error gap, right? Actually, it isn’t.

When inventory changes are subtracted the economy actually contracted by 0.05% - see below. Inventory numbers are notoriously inaccurate, so the FedNow estimate actually came in spot on, all things considered.

Analyzing a bit further, the government’s spending was erased by lower private fixed investment, while higher personal consumption was erased by the record trade deficit (negative net exports). We consumed more, but the increase was all made up of imported goods and services. 

Moreover, what actually happened with inventories is that they didn’t build up from the previous quarter, but instead were drawn down at a slower rate, thus producing a sort of “phantom” positive effect on GDP. 

Therefore, it looks to me that the US economy has stalled completely. With inflation at 5.4%, that’s stagflation..


5 comments:

  1. is it correct to just subtract? assuming change in inventory is 1/5th of gdp, it would be 2.02 - 2.07/5 ?

    I might be misreading the chart....

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    Replies
    1. The individual contributing components add up to the 2%

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  2. btw, I notice that U.S. dollar did not appreciate / depreciate much against Asian currencies.... however, the inflation in Asia is quite muted... Taiwan, Korea, Australia are all doing something like 1-2 percent inflation.

    seems strange for a globalized economy....

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    Replies
    1. Then again, they’re not printing like mad, are they?

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    2. depends on the country; I think Australia is printing....

      but one would expect that the country that did not print would have an appreciating currency which allows it to avoid global inflation... but that is not what seems to happen.... instead, we get localized inflation in China and America, with little currency fluctuation.

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