US economic growth in the first quarter will match the modest pace reported in last year’s Q4, according to estimates compiled by The Capital Spectator. The median Q1 forecast points to a 2.5% increase in output, the gain reported for 2017’s final three months, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis.

The median 2.5% estimate for Q1 data marks a downshift from last month’s 2.9% projection. The current forecast is strong enough to keep the nine-year expansion alive, but the current outlook suggests that earlier projections for stronger output in 2018 are fading.

Economists at Wells Fargo last week blamed an uptick in inflation as a factor that’s weighing on expectations for Q1.  Citing last week’s unexpected dip in