Paychecks grew more slowly in second quarter, Labor Department says
Higher wages and benefits are good for employees, but slower pay growth will likely reassure Federal Reserve officials that inflation is steadily falling back to their 2% target.
Inflation
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Fed’s preferred inflation gauge cools, adding to likelihood of September rate cut
Inflation has fallen steadily for the past year. Even so, the costs of everyday necessities like groceries, gasoline and rent remain much higher than they were three years ago.
Powell says Federal Reserve more confident inflation slowing toward target
In his remarks Monday, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell stressed that the Fed did not need to wait until inflation actually reached 2% to cut borrowing costs.
U.S. wholesale inflation picked up in June more than expected
The increase, the sharpest year-over-year increase since March 2023, comes at a time when other price indicators are showing that inflation has continued to ease.
Food companies feel the pain as consumers reject higher prices
PepsiCo’s and Conagra’s latest quarterly results suggest that consumers frustrated by rising prices are now spending less on established brands, particularly in the snack and soda aisles.
Inflation cools again, potentially paving way for Fed to cut interest rates soon
The June figures will qualify as another installment of the more good inflation data the central bank has been seeking. Should inflation remain low through the summer, most economists expect the Fed to begin cutting its benchmark rate in September.
Is inflation still cooling? Thursday’s report on June prices will provide clues.
Optimism is rising among economists, investors and Federal Reserve officials that U.S. inflation is nearly under control, with the latest report on consumer prices expected to show another month of mild increases.
Costco raises annual membership fees for the first time since 2017
The company disclosed the forthcoming 8% increase in the fee to gain entry into its more than 700 warehouses in the U.S. and Canada as part of a monthly sales report Wednesday.
Fed’s Powell highlights slowing job market in signal that rate cuts might be nearing
The Federal Reserve has made “considerable progress” toward its goal of defeating the worst inflation spike in four decades, Chair Jerome Powell said in his testimony to the Senate Banking Committee.
Fed Chair Jerome Powell: U.S. inflation cooling again, but rate cuts would be premature
After some persistently high inflation reports at the start of 2024, Powell said, the data for April and May “do suggest we are getting back on a disinflationary path.”
Federal Reserve’s preferred inflation gauge shows price pressures easing further
Prices for physical goods actually fell 0.4% from April to May. Gasoline prices, for example, dropped 3.4%, furniture prices 1% and the prices of recreational goods and vehicles 1.6%.
Medicare cutting prices of 64 drugs that outpaced inflation
Some of America’s seniors will see their out of pocket costs fall for more than five dozen drugs—including treatments for osteoporosis and cancer—as part of the White House’s crackdown on rising pharmaceutical prices.
Federal Reserve sees some progress on inflation, but envisions just one rate cut this year
The policymakers’ forecast for one rate cut was down from a previous forecast of three, likely because inflation, despite having cooled in the past two months, remains persistently elevated.
Inflation cooled slightly in May in sign price pressures might be easing
Federal Reserve officials, who will end their latest policy meeting later Wednesday, are scrutinizing each month’s inflation data to assess their progress in their fight against rising prices.
Inflation data this week could help determine Fed’s timetable for rate cuts
Chair Jerome Powell is likely to underscore at a news conference Wednesday that the policymakers will need to see several more months of low inflation readings before they would consider reducing their key rate.
Inflation gauge closely tracked by Federal Reserve rises at slowest pace this year
Friday’s report also showed that income growth slowed and spending cooled sharply in April, a trend that could help moderate economic growth and inflation in the coming months.
Lingering inflation pressures continue to keep Fed rate cuts on pause
Hopes for interest rate cuts this year by the Federal Reserve are steadily fading, with a stream of recent remarks by Fed officials underscoring their intention to keep borrowing costs high as long as needed to curb persistently elevated inflation.
Target says it plans to cut prices on thousands of basic items
Target is very cognizant of the spending pullback by shoppers amid high inflation. In March, it reported its first annual decline in sales in seven years.
Inflation improved slightly in April, but impact on rate cuts still uncertain
The latest snapshot comes as the Federal Reserve is grappling with inflation data that continues to surprise them.
U.S. wholesale prices rose in April by more than projected
Tuesday’s unexpectedly high readings may raise concerns on Wall Street, at the White House and for inflation-fighters at the Federal Reserve.