Fra Goldman Sachs
BOTTOM LINE: Business inventories rose less than expected in August. In light of the disappointing September retail sales report and slower-than-expected inventory growth in August, we reduced our Q3 GDP tracking estimate by three-tenths to +3.2%. We also moved our Q4 GDP forecast down a quarter point to +3.0%.
MAIN POINTS:
1. Business inventories rose 0.2% in August (vs. consensus +0.4%). Retail inventories—the only component of the report not already known for the month—declined 0.3%. Auto and auto parts inventories declined 0.7%, while ex-autos inventories were flat.
2. In light of the disappointing September retail sales report and slower-than-expected inventory growth in August, we reduced our Q3 GDP tracking estimate by three-tenths to +3.2%. We also moved our Q4 GDP forecast down a quarter point to +3.0%, due to weaker momentum in consumer spending heading into the quarter.
