AI Data Insight
The quarter-over-quarter contribution of personal consumption expenditures (PCE) to U.S. GDP in the first quarter of 2026 fell to 1.08%, significantly slowing from 1.58% in the previous quarter. Although the broader economy was supported by AI infrastructure and corporate investment, the inflation rebound triggered by the Middle East conflict has eroded household purchasing power, leaving the U.S. facing a structural imbalance challenge of "hot investment, cold consumption."