WASHINGTON, Feb. 20 (Xinhua) -- U.S. economic growth increased at a 1.4 percent annual rate in the fourth quarter, the Department of Commerce reported on Friday.

Pedestrians walking in Times Square are reflected in a puddle of melting snow in New York, on February 15, 2026. (File photo: AFP)

This was well below the 2.5 percent growth that analysts had predicted for the quarter.