NOMURA: That Negative Q4 GDP Report Will Be Revised Higher, Economy Actually Grew

It won't stay negative.

From Nomura:

Data releases today each had a significant impact on our Q4 GDP tracking model, but on net the change was a small positive. We began the day with Q4 GDP tracking a decline of -0.1%, matching the BEA's advanced estimate. Better-than-expected December trade data lifted Q4 tracking to 0.6%, but December wholesale inventory data pushed it back down to 0.2%.

The trade deficit narrowed sharply in December, much more so than the BEA's original assumption in its Q4 GDP estimate. The December trade gap was the narrowest since January 2010. Exports jumped by 2.1% in December while imports dropped by 2.7%. Imports tend to reflect movements in inventories and the large inventory drawdown reported in Q4 suggested that imports had declined.