November 24, 2004 07:12 AM
Inflation Is Tame, Right?
Excerpt: A delicate balance is required to deal with inflationary pressures, and that's where the Federal Reserve comes in. Now in the thick of a campaign of interest-rate tightening, the Fed recently raised the federal-funds rate by a quarter of a percentage point to 2%. It has had to keep an eye on inflation (virtually nonexistent until recently) and job growth (again, virtually nonexistent until late), while slowly cranking up interest rates to a more normal level.
HEAR THAT NOISE? That's the sound of inflation percolating.
Wednesday's report on consumer prices showed that pricing pressure is increasing some, although not as much as Tuesday's surprising wholesale price data would've suggested. The headline consumer price index increased 0.6% in October, the largest rise since May. The reading was three times September's 0.2% and more than the consensus forecast calling for 0.4%.
Digging deeper into the numbers, the overall CPI was boosted by a 0.5% increase in food and beverages, a 2.3% increase in transportation and a 4.2% increase in energy. But after stripping out volatile food and energy prices, which tend to fluctuate considerably from month to month, the core index rose by a tamer 0.2%. That was a tad higher than economists' expectations for a 0.1% increase, but a hair less than September's 0.3% jump.
Wednesday's CPI report follows on the heels of Tuesday's producer price index, which tracks price changes at various manufacturing levels. The headline PPI surged a surprising 1.7% in October, according to the Labor Department. That was far more than September's measly 0.1% increase and the 0.6% gain that economists forecast, and marked the largest jump in nearly 15 years. A 6.8% increase in energy prices and a 1.6% hike in food prices proved the biggest boosts to the overall index, but those weren't the only places that pricing pressure was evident. Excluding volatile food and energy, the core PPI still rose 0.3%, considerably more than the 0.1% gain expected by economists.
READ FULL STORY ...
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Read all 55 posts in the same category of Economy:
Greenspan Again Backs Plan for Private Accounts -
Aug 22, 2006
Oil Prices Rise Amid Concern Over Weather and Supplies - Aug 17, 2006
Prices Rise Only Slightly, Easing Fears About Inflation - Aug 14, 2006
Oil Climbs Above $51 a Barrel on Concerns About Supplies - Aug 08, 2006
Greenspan Says Entitlement Programs Need Reform - Feb 18, 2005
U.S. Trade Deficit Exceeds a Record $600 Billion - Feb 13, 2005
Long-Term Rates Down Since June - Feb 07, 2005
Trim Deficit? Only if Bush Uses Magic - Feb 07, 2005
China: No Yuan Timetable - Feb 06, 2005
Greenspan Says Trade Gap May Narrow - Feb 06, 2005
Greenspan Sees U.S. Trade Gap Stabilizing and Possibly Falling - Feb 06, 2005
If Yuan Moves, Will U.S. Rates Go Up? - Feb 04, 2005
Greenspan Sees Weak Dollar Easing Current-Account Gap - Feb 04, 2005
Economy Slowed in 4th Quarter, U.S. Report Says - Jan 31, 2005
Economy Slowed in 4th Quarter, U.S. Report Says - Jan 31, 2005
Federal Reserve Is Expected to Continue Raising Rates - Jan 31, 2005
Deficits May Be Wearing Thin at the Fed - Jan 25, 2005
U.S. Faces More Tensions Abroad as Dollar Slides - Jan 25, 2005
Oil Price Impact: Worse Than Feared? - Jan 23, 2005
The Effect of Rising Rates - Jan 17, 2005
A Chinese Revaluation May Not Help U.S. - Jan 15, 2005
For Unemployed, Wait for New Work Grows Longer - Jan 09, 2005
Behind the Bouncing Ball of Oil Prices - Jan 09, 2005
Jobs Picture Shows Some Signs of Life - Jan 08, 2005
Faster Rate Increases Coming? - Jan 04, 2005
Fed Minutes: Inflation Subdued, But... - Jan 04, 2005
China Pledges To Work On Yuan Reform - Jan 04, 2005
Fed Intends to Persist With Rate Increases - Jan 04, 2005
U.S. Economy Expected To Perform Well in 2005 - Jan 03, 2005
Women Are Gaining Ground on the Wage Front - Jan 01, 2005
Bush Vows To Maintain 'Strong' Dollar - Dec 26, 2004
Dollar Hits New Low Versus Euro - Dec 23, 2004
Leave No Truffle Behind? - Dec 23, 2004
Social Security Tax Limit May Go Up - Dec 20, 2004
U.S. Quiet on China Trade Tax - Dec 17, 2004
Fed Raises Interest Rates for 5th Time This Year - Dec 17, 2004
OPEC Considers Output Cut to Keep Prices From Falling - Dec 09, 2004
A Plan For U.S. Energy Security? - Dec 08, 2004
Fed Heading For A Pause - Dec 07, 2004
Social Security Reform = New Debt - Dec 06, 2004
Fed Sees Growth, Measured Rate Hikes - Dec 05, 2004
Weak Employment Rport Casts Doubts Over US Economic Strength - Dec 05, 2004
Fed: Inflation Not Setting Off Alarms - Dec 05, 2004
Balancing Act On The Buck - Dec 04, 2004
Job Growth Is Well Below Wall Street Forecasts - Dec 03, 2004
Fed Reports Growth In 11 Of 12 Regions - Dec 02, 2004
Inflation Under Control, Fed Gov. Says - Dec 02, 2004
Global Forecasts for 2005 Growth Are Reduced - Nov 30, 2004
Borrowing For Social Security Plan? - Nov 28, 2004
No Longer Top Dollar? - Nov 26, 2004
Don't Worry ... Don't Be Happy - Nov 26, 2004
Is Another Recession Brewing? - Nov 25, 2004
The Dollar Is Down, But Should Anyone Care? - Nov 21, 2004
Bush Sets Plans To Revamp Taxes, Social Security - Nov 04, 2004
Oil Prices Rise Amid Concern Over Weather and Supplies - Aug 17, 2006
Prices Rise Only Slightly, Easing Fears About Inflation - Aug 14, 2006
Oil Climbs Above $51 a Barrel on Concerns About Supplies - Aug 08, 2006
Greenspan Says Entitlement Programs Need Reform - Feb 18, 2005
U.S. Trade Deficit Exceeds a Record $600 Billion - Feb 13, 2005
Long-Term Rates Down Since June - Feb 07, 2005
Trim Deficit? Only if Bush Uses Magic - Feb 07, 2005
China: No Yuan Timetable - Feb 06, 2005
Greenspan Says Trade Gap May Narrow - Feb 06, 2005
Greenspan Sees U.S. Trade Gap Stabilizing and Possibly Falling - Feb 06, 2005
If Yuan Moves, Will U.S. Rates Go Up? - Feb 04, 2005
Greenspan Sees Weak Dollar Easing Current-Account Gap - Feb 04, 2005
Economy Slowed in 4th Quarter, U.S. Report Says - Jan 31, 2005
Economy Slowed in 4th Quarter, U.S. Report Says - Jan 31, 2005
Federal Reserve Is Expected to Continue Raising Rates - Jan 31, 2005
Deficits May Be Wearing Thin at the Fed - Jan 25, 2005
U.S. Faces More Tensions Abroad as Dollar Slides - Jan 25, 2005
Oil Price Impact: Worse Than Feared? - Jan 23, 2005
The Effect of Rising Rates - Jan 17, 2005
A Chinese Revaluation May Not Help U.S. - Jan 15, 2005
For Unemployed, Wait for New Work Grows Longer - Jan 09, 2005
Behind the Bouncing Ball of Oil Prices - Jan 09, 2005
Jobs Picture Shows Some Signs of Life - Jan 08, 2005
Faster Rate Increases Coming? - Jan 04, 2005
Fed Minutes: Inflation Subdued, But... - Jan 04, 2005
China Pledges To Work On Yuan Reform - Jan 04, 2005
Fed Intends to Persist With Rate Increases - Jan 04, 2005
U.S. Economy Expected To Perform Well in 2005 - Jan 03, 2005
Women Are Gaining Ground on the Wage Front - Jan 01, 2005
Bush Vows To Maintain 'Strong' Dollar - Dec 26, 2004
Dollar Hits New Low Versus Euro - Dec 23, 2004
Leave No Truffle Behind? - Dec 23, 2004
Social Security Tax Limit May Go Up - Dec 20, 2004
U.S. Quiet on China Trade Tax - Dec 17, 2004
Fed Raises Interest Rates for 5th Time This Year - Dec 17, 2004
OPEC Considers Output Cut to Keep Prices From Falling - Dec 09, 2004
A Plan For U.S. Energy Security? - Dec 08, 2004
Fed Heading For A Pause - Dec 07, 2004
Social Security Reform = New Debt - Dec 06, 2004
Fed Sees Growth, Measured Rate Hikes - Dec 05, 2004
Weak Employment Rport Casts Doubts Over US Economic Strength - Dec 05, 2004
Fed: Inflation Not Setting Off Alarms - Dec 05, 2004
Balancing Act On The Buck - Dec 04, 2004
Job Growth Is Well Below Wall Street Forecasts - Dec 03, 2004
Fed Reports Growth In 11 Of 12 Regions - Dec 02, 2004
Inflation Under Control, Fed Gov. Says - Dec 02, 2004
Global Forecasts for 2005 Growth Are Reduced - Nov 30, 2004
Borrowing For Social Security Plan? - Nov 28, 2004
No Longer Top Dollar? - Nov 26, 2004
Don't Worry ... Don't Be Happy - Nov 26, 2004
Is Another Recession Brewing? - Nov 25, 2004
The Dollar Is Down, But Should Anyone Care? - Nov 21, 2004
Bush Sets Plans To Revamp Taxes, Social Security - Nov 04, 2004
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