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Inflation

Inflation
Australian CPI eases to 4.0%; trimmed mean ticks up
Australia's Consumer Price Index (CPI), which measures household inflation and tracks changes in the prices of goods and services across categories of household expenditure, rose 4.0% in the 12 months to May 2026, according to fresh data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), easing from a 4.2% increase in the previous period and coming in below market expectations of 4.4%. The largest contributors to annual inflation were Housing, which rose 6.5%, Food and non-alcoholic beverages, up 3.3%, and Transport, also up 3.3%. Trimmed mean inflation, a key measure of underlying price pressures, rose to 3.6% in the year to May, up from 3.4% in the previous month and slightly above market expectations of 3.5%. On a monthly basis, the CPI fell 0.7% in original terms and declined 0.1% in seasonally adjusted terms in May. Rachael McCririck, ABS head of prices statistics, said: “Annual CPI inflation in May was 4.0 per cent, down from 4.2 per cent in the year to April.” Housing remained the dominant driver of annual inflation, rising 6.5% over the year, reflecting higher costs for electricity, new dwellings and rents.Credit: Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS)“Electricity costs are 21.1 per cent higher than 12 months ag
Inflation
US producer inflation hits over 3yr high
United States producer prices rose more than expected in May, recording their largest annual increase in three-and-a-half years as higher energy costs linked to the Middle East conflict fuelled inflationary pressures across the economy. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the producer price index (PPI) for final demand increased 1.1% in May after an upwardly revised 1.1% gain in April. Economists had expected the index to rise 0.7% following a previously reported 1.4% increase in April. On an annual basis, producer prices climbed 6.5% in May, the strongest increase since November 2022. The year-on-year rise accelerated from 5.7% in April. The latest data adds to signs that inflationary pressures are building after hopes had emerged that easing oil prices would help moderate cost increases. Those expectations have faded as renewed tensions in the Middle East pushed energy prices higher. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that the United States would hit Iran "very hard tonight" and soon take control of the country's oil and gas infrastructure and markets. However, he later reversed course, saying the planned action had been cancelled as negotiations with Tehran progressed. The inflation r
Inflation
US consumer price index hits 3yr high in May
Inflation in the United States accelerated in May to its highest level in three years as surging energy prices pushed consumer costs higher, though underlying price pressures remained more moderate than expected. The consumer price index (CPI), a broad measure of goods and services costs across the U.S. economy, rose 0.5% in May on a seasonally adjusted basis, lifting the annual inflation rate to 4.2%, according to data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) on Wednesday. Both figures matched market expectations, although the monthly increase was slightly below April's 0.6% rise. The annual inflation rate climbed above 4% for the first time since 2023 and marked the highest reading since April of that year. It also exceeded April's annual increase of 3.8%. Despite the headline acceleration, underlying inflation pressures were less pronounced. Excluding the often-volatile food and energy categories, core CPI increased 0.2% during the month and 2.9% from a year earlier. While the annual core reading was in line with forecasts, the monthly increase came in below expectations for a 0.3% gain and was lower than April's 0.4% rise, suggesting broader price pressures remain relatively contained. The inflation r
Inflation
Australian inflation eases to 4.2% in April
Australian consumer prices rose slightly less than expected in April, largely due to a temporary tax-related reduction in fuel prices, while underlying inflation measures edged higher, reinforcing expectations that interest rates may need to remain elevated. Data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) showed the monthly Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose 0.4% in April, below forecasts of a 0.6% increase. On an annual basis, inflation slowed to 4.2% from 4.6%, also below the expected 4.4%. However, the trimmed mean measure of core inflation increased 0.3% in the month, in line with expectations, pushing the annual rate up to 3.4%, its highest level since late 2024. The ABS said the main drivers of annual inflation were Transport, Housing, and Food and non-alcoholic beverages, up 6.6%, 6.3%, and 2.8%, respectively.Credit: Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS)Transport inflation eased from 8.9% in the year to March to 6.6% in April, with automotive fuel a key contributor, rising 18.6% over the year. ABS head of prices statistics Sue-Ellen Luke said: "Automotive fuel prices fell 7.0% from March to April, after rising by 32.8% in the previous month. "The fall this month includes the halving of the fuel excise on
Inflation
US wholesale inflation hits 6% in April on annual basis
United States wholesale prices recorded their largest annual increase in more than three years in April, driven by surging energy and services costs in another sign inflationary pressures are accelerating amid the Iran conflict and ongoing tariff impacts. The monthly producer price index (PPI) rose a seasonally adjusted 1.4% in April, well above economists’ forecasts for a 0.5% increase and higher than the upwardly revised 0.7% rise in March, according to data released Wednesday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The monthly increase marked the largest gain since March 2022. On an annual basis, producer prices rose 6%, representing the strongest increase since December 2022. Core producer prices, which exclude food and energy, climbed 1.0% during the month, compared with expectations for a 0.3% rise. Excluding food, energy and trade services, the index increased 0.6%. Energy prices were the primary driver behind the sharp increase in wholesale inflation, echoing consumer inflation data released a day earlier, although the report also showed signs that price pressures were broadening across the economy. The BLS said around three-quarters of the rise in goods prices was linked to a 7.8% jump in final demand e

Inflation
US inflation hits 3.8%; highest level since 2023
Consumer prices in the United States rose at a faster-than-expected pace in April, with inflation climbing to its highest annual level since May 2023 as rising energy costs added further pressure to households and complicated the outlook for Federal Reserve policy. According to data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) on Tuesday, the consumer price index (CPI) increased 0.6% on a seasonally adjusted basis during April, lifting the annual inflation rate to 3.8%. The monthly reading matched market forecasts, although markets had expected annual inflation to come in slightly lower at 3.7%. Core inflation, which excludes volatile food and energy prices and is closely monitored by Federal Reserve officials as a gauge of underlying price pressures, rose 0.4% for the month and 2.8% annually. The annual headline inflation rate marked the highest level recorded since May 2023 and represented a sharp acceleration from March, when inflation was 0.5 percentage points lower at 3.3%. Analysts at ANZ said the report suggested broader inflation pressures remained relatively contained despite concerns surrounding tariffs and geopolitical tensions. "Despite all the hype last year that tariffs would raise inflation, co
Inflation
Australian inflation rises to near three-year high
Australian inflation accelerated to its highest annual level in nearly three years, reinforcing expectations that the Reserve Bank of Australia may tighten monetary policy at its next meeting. Data released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) showed the Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose 4.6% in the 12 months to March 2026, up from 3.7% previously, although slightly below market expectations of a 4.8% increase. Sue-Ellen Luke, ABS head of prices statistics, said: “Annual CPI inflation is the highest it’s been since September 2023.” Housing remained the largest contributor to annual inflation, rising 6.5%. Transport costs also surged, increasing 8.9% over the year. On a monthly basis, CPI rose 1.1% in March, driven primarily by a sharp increase in transport costs, which climbed 9.2%. This was largely due to a significant spike in fuel prices. Trimmed mean inflation, a key measure of underlying price pressures, held steady at 3.3% over the same period, indicating that core inflation remained relatively contained despite the headline rise. “Automotive fuel prices rose 32.8 per cent from February to March, which pre-dates the halving of the fuel excise on 1 April. The increase in March is the largest monthly in
Inflation
US producer price index rises; still below expectations
Producer prices rose in March but still came in significantly below expectations, despite the war in Iran, which has rekindled inflation fears. The Producer Price Index (PPI) demand increased 0.5% in March, which was well below the Dow Jones consensus estimate for 1.1%, according to a Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) report. When excluding food and energy, core PPI grew just 0.1%, falling short of the 0.5% forecast. The services side of inflation, a key focus for Federal Reserve policymakers, was flat on a month-over-month basis. Final demand rose 4% for the 12 months ended in March, which is the largest 12-month advance since the 4.7% increase in February 2023. Year-over-year, prices for final demand excluding foods, energy and trade services rose 3.6%, the largest 12-month growth since moving up 3.6% in November 2025. The increase on the producer end of prices was less than the 0.9% gain in prices consumers actually paid for the month. Core consumer prices also were soft, rising just 0.2%. Some of these components will feed directly into the Federal Reserve’s preferred inflation gauge and the personal consumption expenditures index. When combining the consumer and producer price indexes and how they feed
Inflation
US consumer price index soars in March
United States inflation soared in March amid the war in Iran and sent the Federal Reserve further from its inflation target. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the consumer price index rose 0.9% for the month and climbed 3.3% year-over year. This was pushed by a 10.9% surge in energy costs. Energy prices have been heavily impacted by the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, where around 20% of the world's oil travels through due to the war in Iran. The Iran conflict was the story for the monthly inflation reading, as gasoline soared 21.2%, accounting for nearly three-quarters of the headline price increase, according to the BLS. The war and tariffs also saw airline fares and apparel jump 2.7% and 1% respectivelt for the month. Following a ceasefire between the U.S and Iran, energy prices have moderated in April. The annual rate was its highest since April 2024 and up from 2.4% in February. However, when excluding food and energy, core prices rose by just 0.2% and 2.6% from the same time last year, both 0.1 percentage points below the forecast. Markets have been pricing little chance of a rate cut through the rest of 2026, but Fed officials indicated a tilt toward a quarter percentag