美国经济增速略低于预期值

官方数据：美国经济在今年第一季度取得了增长，不过增速略低于预期值。

美国商务部（Commerce Department）于上周三表示，美国的国内生产总值（GDP）在今年前三个月的年化增长率为2.2%，比起初报告的2.3%略低。

这一下滑可能源于存货增长不如最初的计算值判断得那样强劲。新增存货的价值从331亿美元下调到了202亿美元，如此大幅的削减抵消了固定资产投资（例如设备、建筑和软件等）的增长，后者的增长率从4.6%提高到了6.5%。

还有一些指标也受到小幅冲击：向下修正的包括消费性开支（从1.1%下调到1%）和出口增长（从4.8%下调到4.2%）。进口额本季度增长2.2%，没有变化。

经济学家预测，随着时间的推移，美国经济的增速将会提高，达到3%以上，这将是过去四个季度增速的两倍。（财富中文网）

译者：严匡正 

It’s official: The U.S. economy grew in the first quarter of the year, but slightly less than initially believed.

The gross domestic product, or GDP, rose at a 2.2% annual rate during the first three months of the year, slower than the 2.3% initially reported, the Commerce Department said on last Wednesday.

The drop can be attributed to inventory growth that proved weaker than preliminary calculations suggested. The value of newly added inventories was revised downward from $33.1 billion to $20.2 billion—a large enough cut to offset the gains made by fixed investments (e.g. equipment, structures, and software), which jumped from 4.6% to 6.5%.

Also taking a modest hit: Revised increases in consumer spending (from 1.1% to 1%) as well as exports (4.8% to 4.2%). Imports, up 2.2% for the quarter, went unchanged.

Economists predict that growth will accelerate as the year progresses and reach more than 3%—a figure achieved twice in the last four quarters.