U.S. consumer spending, the biggest part of the economy, saved the day for the record-long expansion, but a big decline in business investments raised concerns about how much longer it can last.
Personal consumption expenditures rose 4.3% in the second quarter, the best performance in six quarters, whereas gross private domestic investment tumbled 5.5%, the worst since the fourth quarter in 2015 as spending on structures slumped 10.6%. The drop in business spending chopped a full percentage point off of the final GDP number.
