The Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta’s GDPNow model has revised its estimate for U.S. economic growth in the third quarter of 2026 to an annualized 4.6%, up from a prior projection of 4.0%. The latest update, released on 26 August 2026, points to stronger-than-previously-expected momentum in the U.S. economy.
The move from 4.0% to 4.6% suggests that incoming data for the quarter have been more robust than earlier readings implied. While GDPNow is not an official forecast, it is closely watched by markets as a real-time gauge of how actual GDP growth may be shaping up, and the latest reading will likely reinforce expectations of solid U.S. output in the third quarter.
