Consumer Price Index
Consumer Price Index news stories
MARKETS
Bad news in housing and predictions of recession sour stocks
Wall Street Journal Nov 19, 08 3:21 PM CST
(Newser) -
Stocks plunged today on a spread of bad economic news, including signs that the housing market is not improving and dire predictions by the Federal Reserve’s interest-rate committee, the Wall Street Journal reports. The Dow fell 427.47 to close at 7,997.28. The Nasdaq lost 96.85, settling at 1,386.42, while the S&P 500 shed 52.54 to close at 806.58.
More »
As prices rise, wages fall and unemployment jumps, spending growth has stalled
Washington Post Oct 3, 08 10:45 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The current economic crisis is shaping up to be different than others Americans have weathered in the past 20 years in an important respect, the Washington Post reports: consumer spending, which the nation could always count on to propel the economy through, has stalled. Real spending, the catalyst behind 70% of GDP, has been flat or down since June, and economists predict the third quarter will show the first decline in spending since 1990-1991.
More »
But higher Europe wages drive up prices
Wall Street Journal Aug 22, 08 10:20 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Workers in the US are falling behind inflation while their counterparts in the 15-nation Eurozone are keeping pace, in part because of more powerful unions, the Wall Street Journal reports. But rising wages may damage the European economies, as they deter companies from hiring and in turn boost inflation. When wages are indexed to prices, an inflationary spiral is particularly hard to break, the paper observes.
More »
MARKETS
Drop in oil, strong greenback pushes Dow to weekly gains
MarketWatch Jun 13, 08 3:14 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The markets rallied today, pushing the Dow into positive territory for the week, off a strong dollar and a drop in oil prices. The Dow gained 165.77 to close at 12,307.35, a weekly gain of 0.8%. The Nasdaq climbed 50.15 to 2,454.50 but posted a weekly loss of 0.8%. The S&P 500 gained 20.16, settling at 1,360.03, flat for the week.
More »
Chemical company rips feds for energy policy it blames for higher costs
Wall Street Journal May 29, 08 2:20 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Skyrocketing energy costs prompted Dow Chemical to bump prices up to 20% yesterday on compounds that are the building blocks for thousands of consumer products, fanning inflation fears. Dow, one of the world’s largest chemical companies, ripped Washington for an energy policy it says has raised its energy costs 42% from a year ago, reports the Wall Street Journal.
More »
Jump in energy, food costs outweighs cheaper clothes; new record for crude
Associated Press Apr 16, 08 10:22 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Consumer prices rose an anticipated 0.3% in March, propelled by hikes in the costs of energy, food, and airline tickets; a commodities rush and weak dollar also pushed crude oil to a record high today. Energy costs rose 1.9% in March, the AP reports, and the past year has seen huge increases in the prices of bread (14.7%) and milk (13.3%)
More »
Lack of increase means Fed has an open door to a big rate cute next week
Wall Street Journal Mar 14, 08 8:41 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Consumer prices were flat for February, pleasantly surprising economists who expected a 0.2% increase, reports the Wall Street Journal . This morning’s consumer price index eases concerns that inflation is accelerating as the economy slows, and it gives the Federal Reserve more reason to float a large interest rate cut next week. A drop in energy prices was credited with the inflation relief, likely to be short-lived as this month's record oil and gas prices are factored into the next reports.
More »
Fed may have hands tied, as CPI soars past expectations
Wall Street Journal Feb 20, 08 9:04 AM CST
(Newser) -
Core inflation bounded ahead of expectations in January, which is bad news for anyone betting on a big rate cut from the Fed–and for the Fed itself. The consumer price index rose 0.4%, with core CPI rising 0.3%, putting the year-over-year figures at 4.3% and 2.5% respectively, well above the Fed’s traditional 1.5%-2% comfort zone, the Wall Street Journal reports.
More »
News isn't all gloomy: Demand for durable goods surges
Bloomberg Jan 29, 08 11:14 AM CST
(Newser) -
Consumer confidence fell a bit less than expected but still approached a 2-year nadir in January, reinforcing fears that Americans will put the brakes on personal spending. In other economic reports out today, the S&P/Case-Shiller housing-price index report showed a 7.7% year-over-year drop for November, Bloomberg reports, and durable good sales saw a better-than-expected rise in December.
More »
CPI surge on rising energy costs sparks inflation worries
Bloomberg Dec 14, 07 9:36 AM CST
(Newser) -
November’s consumer price index spiked 0.8%—the biggest rise since September 2005—as soaring energy costs pushed up prices on an array of goods and services. The increase, higher than the 0.6% anticipated, reignites inflation worries, causing experts to predict that further Fed rate cuts are unlikely, Bloomberg reports.
More »
But modest consumer price hike soothes inflation fears
Wall Street Journal Oct 17, 07 9:49 AM CDT
(Newser) -
New homes starts fell to their lowest level in 14 years last month, plunging 10%—to an annualized rate of 1.191 million—after expectations of a 4.2% decline. The number followed a 3.2% drop in August, the Wall Street Journal reports. A homebuilders' confidence gauge registered its lowest number since its 1985 inception. Housing continues to get worse and worse,'' a Deutsche Bank economist told Bloomberg. The contraction will go on into at least the middle of next year."
More »
Energy, food drive big May bump in consumer spending as core inflation stays cool
MarketWatch Jun 15, 07 11:06 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The consumer price index jumped 0.7% in May, riding high energy prices to its second-biggest spike in 16 years. But the volatile food and energy sectors appeared not to disrupt the rest of the economy, MarketWatch reports. The core CPI, which excludes food and gas prices, rose only 0.15%, just enough below 0.2% forecasts to calm inflationary fears.
More »
But gas prices, at record highs, still worrisome
Bloomberg May 15, 07 1:48 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The core consumer price index stayed steady last month, rising just 0.2% and cooling worries about inflation. The overall CPI, which responds to fluctuating food and energy costs, climbed 0.4%, still well within the comfort zone. That's good news for the Fed, which held interest rates steady last week in hopes of targeting inflation.
More »