Last Week in Review by @finance_coffe

My good friend Anna runs an account called @finance_coffe where she posts the latest financial news and market trends in an easy, digestible manner. Below, Anna has put together the top six things you need to know from last week!

• The US economy experienced slower growth than anticipated in the first quarter, with GDP expanding at an annualized rate of 1.6% according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis.

• This growth rate fell short of the 2.5% expected by economists surveyed by Bloomberg, contrasting with the revised fourth quarter GDP of 3.4%.

• The "core" Personal Consumption Expenditures index, excluding food and energy, rose by 3.7%, surpassing estimates and showing a significant increase from the previous quarter's 2% gain.

• Investors are closely monitoring these figures to assess the timing of potential interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve and to evaluate the likelihood of a smooth economic adjustment without excessive inflation.

• Weakness in trade and exports contributed significantly to the lower-than-expected GDP growth for the first quarter, reducing growth by approximately 1.2 percentage points.

• Upcoming economic events include the ISM Manufacturing report and FOMC Meeting next week, followed by Employment data on Friday.

xoxo Emma and Anna