US economy grew at a 1.5 percent annual rate in the second quarter of 2026, below forecasts

The US Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) said on Thursday, 30 July 2026, in its advance estimate that real gross domestic product grew at an annual rate of 1.5 percent in the second quarter of 2026 (April to June). That is below the 2.1 percent growth recorded in the first quarter and short of the median economist forecast of 2.1 percent.

According to the report, increases in consumer spending, investment and exports drove second-quarter growth, partly offset by a decrease in government spending. Imports, which are subtracted in the calculation of GDP, increased during the quarter.

In the same release, the GDP price index rose at an annual rate of 6.3 percent in the second quarter, against 3.6 percent in the first quarter, while the core personal consumption expenditures price index for the period eased to 3.4 percent from 4.4 percent. The bureau's second estimate of second-quarter growth is due on 26 August 2026. The US growth rate matters for Iranian markets because it shapes the Federal Reserve's interest rate path and the value of the dollar, and through that the global gold price.