The US economy grew at a far weaker than expected pace in the second quarter despite a pickup in consumer spending and solid business investment. The contributors to the increase in real GDP in the second quarter were increases in consumer spending, investment, and exports that were partly offset by a decrease in government spending. A closer look at the underlying data:Business investment remained a key driver of growth in the second quarter. Net exports subtracted a percentage point from the calculation of GDP in the second quarter. This measure climbed 3.9% in the second quarter, more than double the first quarter pace and the strongest since early 2023.