CPI Puts Balance Between Inflation & Deflation Cases
The Labor Department has just released its data on retail inflation measured by the Consumer Price Index. This was the December 2011 level and the figure came to +0.1% on the headline CPI and also +0.1% on the core-CPI. Both…
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Today’s data showed that the energy component was down by -1.3% ad the food component was up by about +0.2% for the month. Inflation is not alive and well, and the news does little to stoke the fuel of the deflation camp as well.
Yesterday’s data on wholesale inflation measured by the Producer Price Index should have telegraphed that today’s news was not going to hold any major surprises. As suppliers generally have to endure months of higher prices before passing price hikes on to the retail level, this is setting up the tone for low inflation expectations in the weeks and the coming few months ahead.
JON C. OGG
Contact [email protected] for any questions or corrections.
Jon Ogg has been a financial news analyst since 1997. Mr. Ogg set up one of the first audio squawk box services for traders called TTN, which he sold in 2003. He has previously worked as a licensed broker to some of the top U.S. and E.U. financial institutions, managed capital, and has raised private capital at the seed and venture stage. He has lived in Copenhagen, Denmark, as well as New York and Chicago, and he now lives in Houston, Texas. Jon received a Bachelor of Business Administration in finance at University of Houston in 1992. www.247wallst.com.
