The US started 2026 with a comeback. US real gross domestic product rose at an annualized rate of 2% in the first quarter, short of the 2.2% expected but above the 0.5% rise in the fourth quarter of 2025. "Compared to the fourth quarter of 2025, the acceleration in real GDP in the first quarter of 2026 reflected upturns in government spending and exports, and an acceleration in investment that were partly offset by a deceleration in consumer spending," the new release from the Bureau of