Compared to the fourth quarter of 2023, the U.S. economy grew at a noticeably slower pace in the first quarter of 2024 due to an increase in the trade deficit and weaker inventory investment. But it was still on solid ground supported by consumers, the government, and the housing industry. Meanwhile, the data from the GDP report suggests that inflation accelerated. The GDP price index rose 3.1% for the first quarter, up from a 1.6% increase in the fourth quarter of 2023. … This quarter’s growth was lower than NAHB’s forecast of a 2.0% increase. …In the first quarter of 2024, residential fixed investment (RFI) made its largest contribution to GDP growth since the first quarter of 2021. It rose 13.9% in the first quarter, up from a 2.8% increase in the fourth quarter of 2023.