Third-quarter economic growth expected to have slowed to 2% from second quarter’s 2.5%, with momentum starting to fade even before government shutdown WASHINGTON — US economic growth probably slowed a bit in the third quarter as consumers kept a lid on spending, supporting the Federal Reserve’s decision to maintain its current pace of bond purchases to stimulate activity.Gross domestic product (GDP) probably expanded at a 2% annual rate, according to a Reuters poll of economists, moderating from a 2.5% clip in the second quarter.The anticipated deceleration will also reflect a pullback in business spending and some ebbing in home-building as a run-up in interest rates over the summer took a toll.The Commerce Department’s first estimate of third-quarter GDP, due at 1.30pm GMT on Thursday, will offer confirmation that the economy lost momentum even before October’s 16-day government shutdown, which is expected to weigh on growth over the final three months of the year."There are no si...
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