Corporate profits in the United States were unchanged for the first time in over two years in the fourth quarter of 2018 at 2,076.2 billion, following a 3.5 percent increase in the previous period. Undistributed profits fell by USD 29.5 billion, or 3.6 percent, to USD 796.7 billion; while net dividends rose by USD 28.9 billion, or 2.3 percent, to USD 1,279.5 billion. Meanwhile, net cash flow with inventory valuation adjustment, the internal funds available to corporations for investment, was also steady at USD 2,614.9 billion. Considering 2018 full year, corporate profits surged 16.2 percent, following a 6.5 percent gain in 2017. Corporate Profits in the United States averaged 483.33 USD Billion from 1950 until 2018, reaching an all time high of 2076.82 USD Billion in the third quarter of 2018 and a record low of 14.70 USD Billion in the first quarter of 1951.
Corporate Profits in the United States is expected to be 2114.32 USD Billion by the end of this quarter, according to Trading Economics global macro models and analysts expectations. Looking forward, we estimate Corporate Profits in the United States to stand at 2159.10 in 12 months time. In the long-term, the United States Corporate Profits is projected to trend around 2265.77 USD Billion in 2020, according to our econometric models.