Soaring gas prices lead to biggest monthly inflation spike in four years
The big question for consumers and the economy is whether the surge in oil and gas prices will create a sustained, broader inflation shock.
Inflation
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Powell: Fed still sees rate cuts this year; election timing won’t affect decision
The recent pickup in inflation has led some economists to postpone their projections for when the Federal Reserve will begin cutting interest rates.
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Federal Reserve on cusp of what some thought impossible: Defeating inflation without steep recession
The economy keeps growing, defying widespread fears from a year ago that 2023 would bring a recession, a consequence of the much higher borrowing rates the Fed engineered.
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‘Excuseflation’ helping prices—and corporate profits—remain high
A growing body of analysts and researchers see a pattern of companies using unusual disruptions as an excuse to raise prices for their goods and services, thereby allowing them to expand profit margins.
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2022 Year in Review: A year of ups, downs and uncertainty
The stock market dropped in 2022. So did the unemployment rate. Except in Indiana, where in both cases, the numbers crept up.
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Articles
Key inflation gauge remained elevated in February before Iran war
Thursday’s report is largely a warm-up for the more important inflation data to be released Friday, when the government will publish the higher-profile consumer price index for March.
Fed keeps key rate unchanged as Powell vows to stay until DOJ probe is done
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell suggested that the central bank remained concerned about inflation that was still stubbornly elevated even before the Iran conflict’s impact on gas prices.
US wholesale prices see biggest rise in a year
U.S. wholesale prices came in hotter than expected in February, driven partly by a sharp increase in food costs.
Inflation held steady last month, before attack on Iran sent energy costs soaring
Even if oil price increases are short-lived, it will almost certainly delay any interest-rate cut by the Federal Reserve, which meets next week.
Wholesale prices hotter than expected in January
Driving the increase was an uptick in the wholesale price of services, led by higher profit margins for retailers and wholesalers.
Inflation cooled slightly in December–though it remains above Fed’s target
Signs that inflation is cooling could make it more likely that the Federal Reserve will reduce its key interest rate later this year, which could translate into lower borrowing costs for mortgages, auto loans and credit cards.
December interest rate cut was a close call for some Fed officials, minutes show
The minutes showed that even some Fed officials who supported the rate cut did so with reservations, with some saying they wanted to wait for more data before making any further moves.
US economy expands at 4.3% annual rate in the third quarter, fastest in 2 years
But economists caution that persistent and potentially worsening inflation could make a January interest rate cut from the Fed less likely.
Inflation cooled unexpectedly in November
The report lands at a moment of growing uncertainty about the broader economic outlook, with job growth slowing sharply in recent months.
Fed’s preferred inflation gauge little changed in September as spending weakened
Core inflation was muted in September and will bolster the case for a cut to the Federal Reserve’s key interest rate at its next meeting.
Trump scraps tariffs on beef, coffee, tropical fruit in a push to lower grocery store prices
Trump has built his second term in part around imposing steep levies on goods imported into the U.S. in hopes of encouraging domestic production and lifting the U.S. economy.
US inflation stays elevated but prices rose less than feared last month
The data for Friday’s report was gathered before Oct. 1, but price data for October isn’t being gathered due to the government shutdown, and the Trump administration suggested Friday that an inflation report won’t be released next month.
Fed minutes: Most officials supported further rate cuts as worries about jobs rose
The minutes provide insight into how the Fed’s policymakers were thinking last month about inflation, interest rates, and hiring.
Fed’s favored inflation gauge accelerates slightly
The increases in the Commerce Department’s personal consumption expenditures, or PCE, price index were what forecasters had expected.
Fed faces economic uncertainty, political pressure as it decides whether to cut rates
At this week’s Federal Reserve meeting, the decision it will make on interest rates—usually the main event—is just one of the key unknowns to be resolved when officials gather Tuesday and Wednesday.
Inflation worsened last month, putting Fed in difficult spot as job market slows
The reading is the last the Federal Reserve will receive before its two-day meeting that begins Tuesday, where policymakers are widely expected to cut their short-term rate.
United States supply chain prices unexpectedly fell in August
The drop in producer prices makes it even more likely that the Federal Reserve will cut its benchmark interest rate next week for the first time this year.
Coming price cuts at McDonald’s might signal broader fast food price war
Fast food visits by lower-income consumers dropped by double-digit percentages industrywide in the second quarter, McDonald’s said.
Key inflation gauge holds mostly steady, while core inflation ticks up
The report showed that consumer spending picked up last month and could boost economic growth.