Commerce Department

Commerce Department Articles

Retail sales are often volatile on a monthly reporting basis, and the markets are getting to deal with a fresh round of negative news when it comes to the consumer spending habits of Americans.
There are some caveats to this GDP report that have helped to boost the numbers, but the report also creates some serious confusion for bulls and bears alike.
The U.S. Department of Commerce reported that total retail sales posted a seasonally adjusted gain of 0.2%, but that was better than expected.
The U.S. Department of Commerce reported that the economy grew more than expected in the fourth quarter of 2018.
Durable goods orders in November rose month over month but fell short of expectations even given a sharp downward adjustment in October's total.
The U.S. Department of Commerce has issued its first revision to third-quarter gross domestic product on Wednesday morning — with no real revision. The preliminary gain for GDP was maintained flat...
U.S. GDP grew by 3.5% in the third quarter, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis' first estimate. Total GDP topped $20.6 trillion, but growth was slower than in the second quarter.
Friday will be showtime for the first reading on third-quarter gross domestic product, which is the ultimate measurement of the U.S. economy.
While President Trump is hoping for another healthy gain in GDP, the real issue already may be beyond what happened in the third quarter.
Wednesday's economic reporting brought the first revision to second-quarter gross domestic product.
It turns out that all the hype about higher growth actually can come true. GDP for the second quarter saw its largest gain in about four years.
It appears that consumer spending, which makes up the majority of U.S. GDP, was weaker than had been expected in the first quarter.
The monthly reports on durable goods can be quite volatile, disappointing in a strong economy or soaring even in a bad economy.
What should stand out in the latest GDP report is that the U.S. economy is about to hit $20 trillion in GDP, if any of the expected growth comes to pass in 2018.
With roughly two-thirds of GDP tied to consumer spending, what should the markets make of a big disappointment in retail sales for February?