Covering the Economy: BEA January 27 GDP Release: WSJ Economists React

The Wall Street Journal's Friday morning "Economists React" story:

WSJ.com - Economists React : Economists React January 27, 2006 11:17 a.m. After the economy navigated a brutal hurricane season to post robust growth in the third quarter of 2005, growth cooled considerably in the fourth quarter. Gross domestic product, the broadest measure of U.S. economic output, increased at just a 1.1% seasonally adjusted annual rate as free-spending consumers became more cautious and the gaping trade deficit continued to provide a drag on the expansion. For all of 2005, GDP growth averaged a 3.5% annual rate. What does the slowdown in the fourth quarter mean for the economy in the months ahead? Economists weigh in with their reactions: