Tags: economists | negative | gdp | coronavirus

Economists Start Forecasting Negative U.S. GDP Numbers on Coronavirus

Economists Start Forecasting Negative U.S. GDP Numbers on Coronavirus
(Mateusz Zogala/Dreamstime)

Wednesday, 11 March 2020 05:27 PM EDT

Economists are lowering their estimates for second-quarter growth in the U.S. as the coronavirus crimps demand and spending, in some cases penciling in what would be the first contraction since 2014.

Analysts who follow the U.S. economy from at least six financial firms -- Wells Fargo & Co., BMO Financial Group, Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, ABN Amro, Rabobank, and Berenberg -- now see contractions for the April-June period, ranging from an annualized rate of 0.1% to 2%, according to research reports and early survey responses compiled by Bloomberg News.

“Given the extreme market volatility and growing number of cases of the virus in the U.S., we’re seeing states declaring states of emergency,” said Jennifer Lee, an economist at BMO, which slashed its forecast for second-quarter gross domestic product to a 2% contraction.

“It’s becoming a demand issue -- all these fearful consumers, people canceling cruises,” Lee said. “It’s going to feed back to the business side as well, with business investment holding back.”

Consumption is likely to slow -- particularly for discretionary spending such as at restaurants and clothing stores -- as plunging stocks likely damp consumer sentiment, Berenberg economist Mickey Levy said in a note to clients Tuesday. Corporate investment will also slow further as supply chains are cut and uncertainty remains, he said.

The pessimists remain in a minority, with most analysts continuing to forecast growth in the second quarter, albeit at a relatively weak pace.

Also, Levy and other analysts who’ve lowered forecasts note that the outlook is a moving target: The coronavirus impacts have yet to filter through into the official government data and there are many unknowns, including the timing of factory re-openings, how far the virus will spread and the fiscal policy response.

Growth will likely bounce back in the third quarter, the forecasts show, as fiscal stimulus works its way through the economy and factories reopen to stabilize supply chains.

© Copyright 2025 Bloomberg News. All rights reserved.


StreetTalk
Economists are lowering their estimates for second-quarter growth in the U.S. as the coronavirus crimps demand and spending, in some cases penciling in what would be the first contraction since 2014.
economists, negative, gdp, coronavirus
318
2020-27-11
Wednesday, 11 March 2020 05:27 PM
Newsmax Media, Inc.

Sign up for Newsmax’s Daily Newsletter

Receive breaking news and original analysis - sent right to your inbox.

(Optional for Local News)
Privacy: We never share your email address.
Join the Newsmax Community
Read and Post Comments
Please review Community Guidelines before posting a comment.
 
Get Newsmax Text Alerts
TOP

Newsmax, Moneynews, Newsmax Health, and Independent. American. are registered trademarks of Newsmax Media, Inc. Newsmax TV, and Newsmax World are trademarks of Newsmax Media, Inc.

NEWSMAX.COM
MONEYNEWS.COM
© Newsmax Media, Inc.
All Rights Reserved
NEWSMAX.COM
MONEYNEWS.COM
© Newsmax Media, Inc.
All Rights Reserved