Fed's preferred inflation gauge rises to 2.3% annually, meeting expectations [View all]

Last edited Wed Nov 27, 2024, 10:53 AM - Edit history (1)

Source: CNBC

Published Wed, Nov 27 2024 10:08 AM EST Updated 23 Min Ago


Inflation edged higher in October as the Federal Reserve is looking for clues on how much it should lower interest rates, the Commerce Department reported Wednesday.

The personal consumption expenditures price index, a broad measure that the Fed prefers as its inflation gauge, increased 0.2% on the month and showed a 12-month inflation rate of 2.3%. Both were in line with the Dow Jones consensus forecast, though the annual rate was higher than the 2.1% level in September.

Excluding food and energy, core inflation showed even stronger readings, with the increase at 0.3% on a monthly basis and an annual reading of 2.8%. Both also met expectations. The annual rate was 0.1 percentage point above the prior month. Services prices generated most of the inflation for the month, rising 0.4% while goods fell 0.1%. Food prices were little changed while energy was off 0.1%.

Fed policymakers target inflation at a 2% annual rate; PCE inflation has been above that level since March 2021 and peaked around 7.2% in June 2022, prompting the Fed to go an on aggressive rate-hiking campaign.

Read more: https://www.cnbc.com/2024/11/27/pce-inflation-october-2024.html