The Atlanta Federal Reserve’s closely watched GDPNow model now estimates that the US economy is growing at an annualized rate of 2.3% in the first quarter of 2026, down from a prior projection of 2.7%. The updated figure, released on 19 March 2026, signals a mild cooling in the near-term growth outlook.
Both the previous and current readings refer to the same period, the first quarter of 2026, highlighting how incoming data have prompted the model to revise its view lower. While the adjustment is modest, the move from 2.7% to 2.3% suggests slightly weaker underlying momentum in economic activity than initially anticipated, a development that investors and policymakers are likely to watch closely as the quarter progresses.
