US economy grew faster than expected during the second quarter

The U.S. economy grew at a faster pace than expected at the beginning of 2024 as consumers continued to open their wallets despite ongoing inflation and high interest rates. 

Gross domestic product, the broadest measure of goods and services produced across the economy, grew by 2.8% on an annualized basis in the three-month period from April through June, the Commerce Department said in its first reading of the data on Thursday. 

That is much higher than the 2% increase forecast by LSEG economists and the 1.4% pace seen during the first quarter. 

"The U.S. economy is much stronger than people realize and to the extent that markets were worried about a growth slowdown, they should breathe a sigh of relief after this morning’s GDP number," said Chris Zaccarelli, chief investment officer at Independent Advisor Alliance.