The release schedules of both the PPI and CPI have landed in the same week, but recently they have been shifted off kilter, with the PPI set to release the prior week. Limited information from the Core PPI—which came in higher than expected—was released, with the full data release delayed and likely to be published alongside the CPI data. Outside of these two releases, the unemployment data that was set to be released this week has also been delayed and is now due next week. This … [Read more...]

The Federal Reserve’s preferred inflation indicator has come in showing that inflation is still running hotter than expected. This creates a difficult position for the Federal Reserve as it tries to balance interest rate cuts while managing inflation at the same time. Despite previous rate adjustments, inflation has remained stubbornly high. It remains to be seen whether any monetary policy will be able to curb the recent trend as it stands. This was also accompanied by a 0.4% increase in … [Read more...]

In an unexpected turn, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) showed that inflation came in cooler than expected for the month of January, falling to a five-year low. The jobs report showed that unemployment numbers came in worse than expected, perhaps signaling further hesitation from the Federal Reserve, despite inflation data coming in favorably. This is also in light of retail sales data showing that, when accounting for post-holiday trends, retail activity has hit a significant slump. This suggests … [Read more...]

While Consumer Sentiment has inched up slightly, Consumer Credit tells a different story. Credit usage has continued to rise, suggesting increased financial strain on consumers amid ongoing economic pressures such as inflation. Although another rate cut is still expected, its likelihood remains uncertain under the current administration. Consumer SentimentConsumer sentiment was essentially unchanged, inching up less than one index point from last month and sitting about 20% below January 2025. … [Read more...]