The personal consumption expenditures price index increased 0.4% in August, slightly below estimates, while the yearly rise was 3.5%.
But it was the core index that strips out food and energy prices coming in at 3.9%, its lowest reading since September of 2021, that is likely of most interest to the Fed.
While goods prices have slowed considerably, costs in the services sector have proven harder to bring down, driven largely by housing prices.
Looked at just over the past three months, the rate of core inflation has slowed markedly and is not far from the Fed’s 2% annual target.
“PCE and core pce figures indicate continued inflation easing,” Kathy Jones, chief fixed income strategist at the Schwab Center for Financial Research, commented on X.
Persons:
“, ”, Carol Schleif, ” Kathy Jones, Andrew Patterson, Downside, ” Patterson
Organizations:
Federal Reserve, Labor Department, Fed, PCE, BMO Family Office, Schwab Center, Financial Research