by Calculated Risk on 1/30/2013 08:39:00 AM

From the BEA:

Real gross domestic product -- the output of goods and services produced by labor and property located in the United States -- decreased at an annual rate of 0.1 percent in the fourth quarter of 2012 (that is, from the third quarter to the fourth quarter), according to the "advance" estimate released by the Bureau of Economic Analysis. In the third quarter, real GDP increased 3.1 percent

The increase in real GDP in the second quarter primarily reflected positive contributions from personal consumption expenditures (PCE), exports, nonresidential fixed investment, private inventory investment, and residential fixed investment that were partly offset by a negative contribution from state and local government spending. Imports, which are a subtraction in the calculation of GDP, increased.

The decrease in real GDP in the fourth quarter primarily reflected negative contributions from private inventory investment, federal government spending, and exports that were partly offset by positive contributions from personal consumption expenditures (PCE), nonresidential fixed investment, and residential fixed investment. Imports, which are a subtraction in the calculation of GDP, decreased.

Personal consumption expenditures (PCE) increased at a 2.2% annualized rate, and residential investment increased 15.3%, equipment and software increased 12.4%. That is a solid increase in fixed investment.

"Change in private inventories" subtracted 1.27 percentage points from GDP in Q4, and the Federal government subtracted 1.25 percentage points (mostly a sharp decrease in defense spending).

This was below expectations, but the internals were decent with PCE and private investment increasing (domestic demand). I'll have more on GDP later ...