Economic Growth Outlook Unchanged for Second Half of 2016, but Post-Brexit Uncertainty Casts Shadow

WASHINGTON, July 19, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The economic growth outlook for the second half of the year remains unchanged from the prior forecast at about 2.0 percent, according to Fannie Mae's (OTC Bulletin Board: FNMA) Economic & Strategic Research (ESR) Group's July 2016 Economic and Housing Outlook. Consumer spending is expected to drive growth for the rest of 2016 as businesses face headwinds from shrinking profits, weak productivity, and rising labor costs in the face of uncertainty stemming from Brexit and the U.S. presidential election. Government spending and residential investment should be positive contributors to economic growth this year, while nonresidential and inventory investment and net exports are expected to drag on growth. Although job creation picked up at the end of the second quarter, the hiring trend has slowed considerably from the start of the year.

"Financial volatility resulting from Brexit has created some uncertainty among investors as yields on government bonds have dropped sharply, Treasury yield curves have flattened over the past month, and the Chinese Yuan has depreciated to a six-year low against the dollar," said Fannie Mae Chief Economist Doug Duncan. "In addition, our view on interest rates continues to be 'low for long' as we believe a Fed decision to raise interest rates will likely be on hold until June of 2017. Brexit's economic impact on the U.S. will likely be limited, especially from a trade perspective, and should be a near-term positive for the housing and mortgage market as falling mortgage rates have prompted new refinance demand." The ESR Group now projects a 2.2 percent rise in mortgage origination volume in 2016 from 2015 to $1.75 trillion, versus a 2.8 percent drop in the prior forecast. 

"We still expect moderate housing expansion for 2016. While new home sales have pulled back from their expansion-best, existing home sales rose to the highest level in more than nine years amid the largest year-over-year drop in for-sale inventory since October of 2015," said Duncan. "Without relief from new construction, housing inventory will likely remain tight, boosting home prices and constraining affordability."

Visit the Economic & Strategic Research site at www.fanniemae.com to read the full July 2016 Economic Outlook, including the Economic Developments Commentary, Economic Forecast, Housing Forecast, and Multifamily Market Commentary. To receive e-mail updates with other housing market research from Fannie Mae's Economic & Strategic Research Group, please click here.

Opinions, analyses, estimates, forecasts, and other views of Fannie Mae's Economic & Strategic Research (ESR) Group included in these materials should not be construed as indicating Fannie Mae's business prospects or expected results, are based on a number of assumptions, and are subject to change without notice. How this information affects Fannie Mae will depend on many factors. Although the ESR Group bases its opinions, analyses, estimates, forecasts, and other views on information it considers reliable, it does not guarantee that the information provided in these materials is accurate, current, or suitable for any particular purpose. Changes in the assumptions or the information underlying these views could produce materially different results. The analyses, opinions, estimates, forecasts, and other views published by the ESR Group represent the views of that group as of the date indicated and do not necessarily represent the views of Fannie Mae or its management.

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