First: Consumer Price Index (CPI)
What is it?
An index that measures the rate of inflation by tracking changes in the prices of goods and services that consumers purchase.
- Latest data:
- Annual CPI index: Increased by 3.3% (higher than the expected 3.1%).
- Monthly CPI index: Increased by 0.4% (indicating ongoing inflationary pressures).
- Core CPI: Increased by 0.3% monthly, excluding food and energy.
- What does it mean?
Inflation has not decreased at the expected pace, which may lead the Federal Reserve to hesitate in lowering interest rates.
- Second: Jobless Claims
What is it?
- Number of individuals who applied for new weekly unemployment benefits.
Latest data:
- New claims: 229 thousand claims (higher than the expected 220 thousand).
- Trend: Slight increase compared to the previous week.
- What does it mean?
A slight increase in unemployment may indicate the beginning of weakness in the labor market, which is a closely monitored indicator by the Federal Reserve.
- Summary for investors:
- Stock and cryptocurrency markets: Negatively affected after the release of high inflation data.
- Bond market: Yields have risen with increasing expectations of a delay in interest rate cuts.
- General trend: Markets are pricing in the likelihood of interest rates remaining high for longer than expected.
✍️ Be prepared for fluctuations in the markets in the coming weeks, especially with the release of crucial economic reports.