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A key measure of US inflation was tame at the start of the year. But another metric is shaping up to paint a very different picture.Wednesday’s report on the consumer price index showed core inflation, which excludes food and energy costs, was mild in both January and February — a pleasant surprise as companies tend to raise prices at the turn of the year. Yet economists expect another gauge, one preferred by the Federal Reserve and set for release on Friday, was probably rather strong in both months.

The fact that the personal consumption expenditures price index has been outpacing the CPI is already unusual. Typically it’s been the other way around, as a higher weighting on housing costs in the CPI tends to keep that measure relatively elevated.
Now the wedge appears to be deepening. Should the core PCE rise 3.1% in the year through January as economists expect, it would exceed the annual core CPI by one of the widest margins in decades.

The divergence began before the Iran war, which has sent oil prices sharply higher and renewed risks of a broader acceleration in inflation. That puts the Fed in a tough spot. While policymakers are broadly expected to leave interest rates unchanged next week, a sustained pickup in price pressures would make it difficult for officials to justify resuming rate cuts in coming months to shore up a fragile labor market.

The PCE price index, a product of the Bureau of Economic Analysis, draws from the CPI for several price categories. In the wake of the latest CPI data, economists were quick to boost their forecast for the February core PCE price index, which is due April 9. Several projected it would rise 0.4% for a second month, with some penciling in a bigger pickup.

Today's show features:
Yelena Shulyatyeva, The Conference Board Senior US Economist, on today's CPI reaction as we count down to next Fed decision
Gerry Doyle, Bloomberg News Global Defense Editor on Iran’s Cheap, Plentiful Weaponry Puts US Military Under Strain
Gary Evans, US Antimony CEO on the company's $27M award from Dept of Defense under the Defense Production Act
Ellen Wald, Transversal Consulting & Atlantic Council Senior Fellow on the latest in the oil markets

The people, companies and trends shaping the global economy. Watch Carol and Tim LIVE every day on YouTube: <a href="http://bit.ly/3vTiACF">http://bit.ly/3vTiACF</a>. A key measure of US inflation was tame at the start of the year. But another metric is shaping up to paint a very different picture.Wednesday&rsquo;s report on the consumer price index showed core inflation, which excludes food and energy costs, was mild in both January and February &mdash; a pleasant surprise as companies tend to raise prices at the turn of the year. Yet economists expect another gauge, one preferred by the Federal Reserve and set for release on Friday, was probably rather strong in both months. The fact that the personal consumption expenditures price index has been outpacing the CPI is already unusual. Typically it&rsquo;s been the other way around, as a higher weighting on housing costs in the CPI tends to keep that measure relatively elevated. Now the wedge appears to be deepening. Should the core PCE rise 3.1% in the year through January as economists expect, it would exceed the annual core CPI by one of the widest margins in decades. The divergence began before the Iran war, which has sent oil prices sharply higher and renewed risks of a broader acceleration in inflation. That puts the Fed in a tough spot. While policymakers are broadly expected to leave interest rates unchanged next week, a sustained pickup in price pressures would make it difficult for officials to justify resuming rate cuts in coming months to shore up a fragile labor market. The PCE price index, a product of the Bureau of Economic Analysis, draws from the CPI for several price categories. In the wake of the latest CPI data, economists were quick to boost their forecast for the February core PCE price index, which is due April 9. Several projected it would rise 0.4% for a second month, with some penciling in a bigger pickup. Today's show features:
<ul>
<li>Yelena Shulyatyeva, The Conference Board Senior US Economist, on today's CPI reaction as we count down to next Fed decision</li>
<li>Gerry Doyle, Bloomberg News Global Defense Editor on Iran&rsquo;s Cheap, Plentiful Weaponry Puts US Military Under Strain</li>
<li>Gary Evans, US Antimony CEO on the company's $27M award from Dept of Defense under the Defense Production Act</li>
<li>Ellen Wald, Transversal Consulting &amp; Atlantic Council Senior Fellow on the latest in the oil markets</li>
</ul>

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Listen for reporting from the magazine that helps global leaders stay ahead. Hosts Carol Massar and Tim Stenovec bring you insight on the people, companies and trends shaping today's complex economy.&nbsp; You can watch and listen to Businessweek LIVE on YouTube, weekdays from 2PM to 5PM ET: <a href="http://bit.ly/3vTiACF">http://bit.ly/3vTiACF</a>.&nbsp;

Carol Massar and Tim Stenovec bring together the latest news from the world of business and finance and the interesting stories of global technology, politics, economics and more by harnessing the power of Bloomberg Businessweek reporters and editors.

Bloomberg Businessweek

 Tame CPI Still Spells Trouble for Fed’s Favored Inflation Gauge

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/41493d0f-22cb-4072-9854-b40a01532838/transcript