Growth in U.S. Probably Picked Up on Gains in Spending, Exports

The economy in the U.S. probably grew at a faster pace in the fourth quarter, driven by the biggest gain in consumer spending in four years and rising exports, economists projected a report today will show.

Gross domestic product rose at a 3.5 percent annual pace, up from a 2.6 percent rate in the previous three months, according to the median estimate of 85 economists surveyed by Bloomberg News.