US growth quickens in Q4, but speed-bumps ahead

The US economy grew at its fastest pace in 1-1/2 years in the fourth quarter, but a strong rebuilding of stocks by businesses and weak spending on capital goods hinted at slower growth in early 2012.

US gross domestic product expanded at a 2.8% annual rate, the Commerce Department said on Friday, a sharp acceleration from the 1.8% clip of the prior three months and the quickest pace since the second quarter of 2010.

It was, however, a touch below economists expectations for a 3.0% rate.

"The economy ended 2011 on a fairly positive note, but the composition of growth in the last quarter is not favorable for growth early this year," said Ryan Sweet, a senior economist at Moody's Analytics in West Chester, Pennsylvania.

Sweet made the comments before the report was released. For the whole of 2011, the economy grew 1.7% after expanding 3% the prior year.

Growth in the fourth quarter got a temporary boost from the rebuilding of business inventories, which was the fastest since the third quarter of 2010, after they declined in the third-quarter for the first time since late 2009.

Inventories increased USD 56.0 billion, adding 1.94 percentage points to GDP growth. Excluding inventories, the economy grew at a tepid 0.8% rate, a sharp step-down from the prior period's 3.2% pace.

The robust stock accumulation suggest the recovery will lose a step in early 2012.

Also pointing to slower growth, business spending on capital goods was the slowest since 2009, a sign the debt crisis in Europe was starting to take its toll.

Expectations of soft growth led the Federal Reserve on Wednesday to say it expected to keep interest rates at rock bottom levels at least through late 2014.

Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke said the central bank, which forecast growth this year in a 2.2% to 2.7% range, was mulling further asset purchases to speed up the recovery.

The Fed warned the economy still faced big risks, a suggestion the euro zone debt crisis could still hit hard.

"The Fed is attempting to shield the economy from a potentially more severe recession in Europe," said Sweet. "Even though the economy improved last quarter there are a number of headwinds and a lot of uncertainty surrounding Europe, emerging markets and also US fiscal policy."

Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner told the World Economic Forum in Davos the US economy still faced big challenges.