US economic growth slowed in fourth quarter of 2025 amid government shutdown

GDP grew 1.4% last quarter, down from economists’ forecast of 3%, though AI and tax cuts could boost growth this year

US economic growth slowed more than expected in the fourth quarter amid disruptions from last year’s government shutdown and a moderation in consumer spending, but tax cuts and investment in artificial intelligence were expected to support activity this year.

Gross domestic product (GDP) increased at a 1.4% annualized rate last quarter, the commerce department’s Bureau of Economic Analysis said in its advance estimate of fourth-quarter GDP on Friday. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast GDP rising at a 3.0% pace. The survey was, however, completed before data on Thursday showing the trade deficit widening to a five-month high in December.

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Why This Matters

GDP grew 1.4% last quarter, down from economists’ forecast of 3%, though AI and tax cuts could boost growth this year

US economic growth slowed more than expected in the fourth quarter amid disruptions f... The story is categorized under Breaking News with a positive tone (score 0.02).

In Week 8 2026, Breaking News accounted for 35 related article(s), with UK Politics setting the broader headline context. Coverage of Breaking News decreased by 5 article(s) versus the prior week, but remained material in the weekly agenda.

Coverage Snapshot

Week 8 2026 included 35 Breaking News article(s). Leading outlets for this topic included Independent, CNBC, Guardian Business. Across that cluster, sentiment showed a mostly neutral skew (avg score 0.07).

Key Insights

Primary keywords: quarter, economic, growth, fourth, business.
Topic focus: Breaking News coverage with positive sentiment.
Source context: reported by Guardian Business.
Published: 2026-02-20.
Published by Guardian Business, a widely cited major outlet.
Date context: published during Week 8 2026, when UK Politics dominated weekly headlines.

Tone & Sentiment

The article tone is classified as positive, driven by the language and emphasis in the summary. The sentiment score of 0.02 indicates the strength of that tone.

Context

This piece fits within the broader Breaking News narrative, connecting current events to ongoing developments. Readers tracking Breaking News trends can use this article as a concise signal of what is shaping coverage right now.

Key Takeaway

In short, this article underscores key movement in Breaking News and explains why it matters now.

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Guardian Business US economic growth slowed in fourth quarter of 2025 amid government shutdown