By John S. McClenahen The U.S. Commerce Department is slated to release first-quarter 2004 GDP data on April 29, and a strong economic showing is anticipated. The big question is just how fast the U.S. economy grew during the January through March ...
ByJohn S. McClenahen The U.S. Commerce Department is slated to release first-quarter 2004 GDP data on April 29, and a strong economic showing is anticipated. The big question is just how fast the U.S. economy grew during the January through March quarter. UBS Investment Research, New York, is looking for a 5% inflation-adjusted rate, which, it notes, "would put the year-over-year growth rate at 5.1%, the highest since 1984." Merrill Lynch & Co., also based in New York, now forecasts a 5.3% rate for the first quarter, "led by the continuously consuming consumer." In contrast, as recently as April 2, Merrill was projecting only a 3% rate for the first quarter of this year.
