(Reuters) – Growth in the U.S. services sector braked in December and new orders for manufactured goods fell for a fourth straight month in November, signs the economy lost some momentum in the fourth quarter.

But with domestic demand picking up, against the backdrop of lower gasoline prices and firming wage growth, any slowdown in economic growth is likely to be temporary.

“The economy hardly ended the year with a bang, but only because the recent pace was not sustainable. It is easing only modestly,” said Joel Naroff, chief economist at Naroff Economic Advisors in Holland, Pennsylvania.  Read more