Economy Grows at 2.5%, Led by Spending and Investment

BusinessWeek details:

The U.S. economy grew in the third quarter at the fastest pace in a year as Americans reduced savings to boost purchases and companies stepped up investment in equipment and software.

Gross domestic product, the value of all goods and services produced, rose at a 2.5 percent annual rate, up from 1.3 percent in the prior three months, Commerce Department figures showed today in Washington. Household purchases, the biggest part of the economy, increased at a 2.4 percent pace, more than forecast by economists.

Looking at the chart below, another potential bright sign is the pickup in non-residential investment in the quarter showing that corporations may finally be using all that cash to reinvest in their businesses (though they also appear to have "paid" for this investment by delaying inventory purchases).

If the next step in this cycle is an inventory rebuild and (don't want to jinx it) hiring, we may be in business.

Source: BEA