AI Data Insight
The advance estimate of U.S. GDP for the first quarter of 2026 showed an annualized quarter-over-quarter growth rate of 2.0%, missing the market consensus of 2.2%. Notably, the contribution of private domestic investment in construction to quarter-over-quarter GDP growth recorded -0.19%, further deteriorating from the previous -0.07% in the fourth quarter of 2025. Although the AI boom has driven up equipment investment, supporting the overall economy, resurgent inflation and a high-interest-rate environment continue to heavily weigh on the physical construction sector, highlighting an "imbalance between soft and hard" capital expenditures.