Jeff Cox
@JEFF.COX.7528
@JEFFCOXCNBCCOM

KEY POINTS

• Gross domestic product, a measure of all goods and services produced in the U.S., rose at a 4.9% annualized pace in the third quarter, ahead of the 4.7% estimate.
• The sharp increase came due to contributions from consumer spending, increased inventories, exports, residential investment and government spending.
• While the report could give the Fed some impetus to keep policy tight, traders were still pricing in no chance of an interest rate hike when the central bank meets next week.

The U.S. economy grew even faster than expected in the third quarter, buoyed by a strong consumer in spite of higher interest rates, ongoing inflation pressures, and a variety of other domestic and global headwinds.

Gross domestic product, a measure of all goods and services produced in the U.S., rose at a seasonally adjusted 4.9% annualized pace in the July-through-September period, up from an unrevised 2.1% pace in the second quarter, the Commerce Department reported Thursday. Economists surveyed by Dow Jones had been looking for a 4.7% acceleration in GDP, which also is adjusted for inflation. Read More…