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Trump says 'be patient' as US economy contracts on tariff disruption

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that Americans should be patient in the face of a first quarter economic contraction, arguing that his tariffs would eventually lead to a boom in the U.S. economy. The economy shrank in the first quarter, weighed down by a deluge of goods imported by businesses eager to avoid higher costs, underscoring the disruptive nature of Trump's often chaotic tariff policy. Republican Trump blamed his Democratic predecessor, Joe Biden, for the poor showing.

Instant View: Tame March PCE inflation no salve after downbeat Q1 US GDP report

Economists polled by Reuters had forecast consumer spending would rise 0.5% after a previously reported 0.4% increase in February. The data was included in the advance gross domestic product report for the first quarter that was published earlier on Wednesday, which showed GDP contracted at a 0.3% annualized rate last quarter, weighed down by a record surge in imports. President Donald Trump's sweeping tariffs have fanned fears the economy is facing a period of tepid growth, even recession, and high inflation, commonly referred to as stagflation.

Fed seen cutting policy rate by a full percentage point this year

The U.S. economy contracted by an annualized 0.3% last quarter, the Commerce Department's Bureau of Economic Analysis said on Wednesday, as American businesses rushed to buy imported goods ahead of President Donald Trump's barrage of tariffs. Futures contracts that settle to the Fed's policy rate continued to point to a start to Fed rate cuts in June, with a total of four quarter-point reductions likely, bringing the rate to the 3.25%-3.5% range by year-end. Fed policymakers meet next week and are nearly universally expected to keep rates in their current 4.25%-4.5% range.

U.S. economy shrinks 0.3% in first quarter as Trump trade wars disrupt businesses

The U.S. economy shrank at a 0.3% annual pace from January through March, the first drop in three years, as President Donald Trump's trade wars disrupted business. First-quarter growth was slowed by a surge in imports as companies in the United States tried to bring in foreign goods before Trump imposed massive tariffs. Imports grew at a 41% pace, fastest since 2020, and shaved 5 percentage points off first-quarter growth.

Federal Signal (NYSE:FSS) Posts Better-Than-Expected Sales In Q1

Safety and security company Federal Signal (NYSE:FSS) reported Q1 CY2025 results exceeding the market’s revenue expectations, with sales up 9.2% year on year to $463.8 million. The company’s full-year revenue guidance of $2.06 billion at the midpoint came in 0.5% above analysts’ estimates. Its non-GAAP profit of $0.76 per share was 3.9% above analysts’ consensus estimates.