Mexican economy grew for sixth consecutive quarter in Q1

Could 26 (Reuters) – Mexico’s economy grew for the sixth quarter in a row in the initially quarter, information from Latin America’s second-biggest economy showed on Friday, with development in line with industry expectations.

Gross domestic solution (GDP) elevated 1.% in the period from the prior 3 months, statistics agency INEGI stated, matching forecasts from economists in a Reuters poll.

The figure, on the other hand, came in slightly under preliminary estimates disclosed by INEGI a month ago, when the statistics agency stated GDP had most likely elevated 1.1% in the period on a sequential basis.

Economists had currently dubbed the preliminary initially quarter information as “strong,” while noted a slowdown in the U.S. economy and tight monetary policy would likely soften Mexico’s efficiency in the coming quarters.

“General, these numbers confirm a decent begin to the year,” Pantheon Macroeconomics’ chief economist for Latin America, Andres Abadia, stated about Friday’s figures. “But sequential information is confirming a gradual deterioration in current months.”

Further indicators released by INEGI showed that financial activity in the nation shrank .three% in March from the prior month.

Abadia stated the “very good news” was that fading development momentum and falling inflation would make it simpler for the central bank to adopt a dovish tone quickly right after pausing a practically two-year price-hike cycle earlier this month.

The quarterly GDP development, according to INEGI, was driven by a 1.five% jump in the tertiary or service sector and a .six% boost in secondary activities, which comprise manufacturing.

Major activities such as farming, forestry, fishing and mining, nonetheless, shrunk by two.eight%.

In annual terms, the agency added, the economy expanded three.7% in the initially 3 months of 2023 compared to a year earlier. That was slightly under the three.9% development anticipated by the industry and projected by final month’s preliminary information.

Reporting by Gabriel Araujo editing by Steven Grattan, Jason Neely and Conor Humphries

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