The United States economy grew at an annual rate of 4.1% over the last three months of 2003, the U.S. Commerce Department reported this morning.

The Q4 figure matched a preliminary estimate released a month ago, and met Wall Street economists’ forecasts.

While the fourth quarter figure was healthy, it was down from the hot 8.2% annual rate seen in the third quarter.

The U.S. economy’s performance between July and December marked the biggest six-month increase since 1984.

Economists are predicting that growth in the first three months of this year should pick up to an annual rate of 4.5%.

The GDP report also included a reading on after-tax profits: Corporate earnings increased at a 7.6% annual rate, after rising 10.1% in the third quarter. Profits for all of 2003 climbed 19.2%, compared with a 24.6% increase in 2002.

In a separate release, the U.S. Labor Department said initial jobless claims climbed by 1,000 last week to a seasonally adjusted 339,000. Still, the four-week average declined by 3,000 to 341,500.

Economists had expected claims to rise by 4,000,