The U.S. economy slowed in the fourth quarter and annual growth failed to reach 3% for the 11th straight year, reflecting the huge hurdles the new Trump administration faces in trying to speed up a 7 ½-year-old expansion. Gross domestic product, the official scorecard for the economy, expanded at a 1.9% annual clip from October to December. That’s a marked drop from a 3.5% growth rate in the third quarter. However, the Dow Jones Industrial Average on Thursday finished at a record high and is up 25% over the last 52 weeks. For the full year, the U.S. grew just 1.6%, down from a 2.6% clip in 2015. The last time the U.S. topped 3% growth — the historical average is 3.3% — was in 2005.
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/us-economy-slows-to-19-in-4th-quarter-gdp-shows-2017-01-27
