US growth disappoints; SA’s inflation generally under control

In this podcast, STANLIB’s Chief Economist, Kevin Lings, discusses disappointing US Q4 2025 GDP growth of 1.4% q/q, which was largely due to the 43-day government shutdown. Underlying growth, at 2.2% y/y, is below long-term averages. However, latest US core PCE inflation was above expectations, at 3% y/y, exceeding the Federal Reserve’s 2% target, which may deter aggressive interest rate cuts. In SA, headline CPI rose slightly more than expected in January, but at 3.5% y/y is generally under control, Kevin says.

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