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☆ Jim Cramer’s guide to investing: How to identify 'garden-variety' pullbacks
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-25 | by ( Julie Coleman | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

CNBC's Jim Cramer explained to investors how to identify "garden-variety" market pullbacks and even find buying opportunities in these declines. "There are all sorts of sell-offs, but unless they involve systemic risk — which is increasingly rare, like in 2007, 2009 — they're going to prove to be buying opportunities long term," Cramer said. Sell-offs from overseas can also create buying opportunities, Cramer said, but warned investors not to start buying hand over fist and to wait to see if there will be a bottom. Politics can also play a role in market declines, Cramer said. To Cramer, politics may be a reason to sell some stocks, but rarely are they a reason to sell everything.

Persons: CNBC's Jim Cramer, —, Cramer

☆ Why America is on strike: writers, auto workers, and actors
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-16 | by ( Nathaniel Meyersohn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

New York CNN —The United Auto Workers strike isn’t happening in a vacuum. From Hollywood writers to nurses, factory workers, and Starbucks baristas, thousands of workers have gone on strike in recent months to demand higher pay and improved benefits and working conditions. Members of the United Auto Workers union line up to enter a membership meeting in advance of the September 14 expiration of their union contract with Stellantis, Ford, and General Motors on September 10, 2023, Detroit, Michigan. Workers gained power during the pandemic as Covid-19 cast a spotlight on essential workers’ sacrifices and the vast disparities among America’s workforce. A striking SAG-AFTRA member pickets with other SAG-AFTRA members and striking WGA (Writers Guild of America) workers outside Warner Bros.

Persons: Paul Frangipane, ”, Joseph McCartin, Jim West, “, ” McCartin, Mario Tama, ” Gallup, Ronald Reagan, Reagan, Dennis Caruso, EPI, Michael M, Shawn Fain, Fain Organizations: New, New York CNN, United Auto Workers, Starbucks, Teamsters, UPS, Labor, Bloomberg, Getty, Georgetown University, Economic, Institute, Ford, General Motors, Stellantis, ZUMA Press Wire Workers, Workers, SAG, WGA, Guild of America, Warner Bros, Gallup, Union, International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Air, NY, “, Companies, Cornell University Institute of Labor Relations, Sinai, UAW Locations: New York, Brooklyn, Detroit , Michigan, Burbank , California, United States

☆ Kremlin says Karabakh tensions rising, Armenia warns of 'critical' humanitarian situation
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Artem Mikryukov/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsMOSCOW, Sept 14 (Reuters) - The Kremlin expressed concern on Thursday that tensions between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh were increasing, as Armenia's prime minister described the situation in the blockaded territory as "critical". Armenia has in recent weeks repeatedly accused Azerbaijan of massing forces around Karabakh, which Baku has effectively blockaded since December 2022, causing acute hunger. Armenian state news agency Armenpress on Thursday quoted Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan as saying the humanitarian situation inside Karabakh was desperate. He said a Russian aid truck which Karabakh authorities allowed to enter the region from Azerbaijan on Tuesday had not alleviated the crisis. Armenpress also quoted Pashinyan as saying that Azerbaijan was continuing to mass troops along the frontlines with Karabakh and Armenia, a charge that Baku has repeatedly denied.

Persons: Artem Mikryukov, Dmitry Peskov, Antony Blinken, Matthew Miller, Armenpress, Nikol Pashinyan, Felix Light, David Ljunggren, Gareth Jones, Andrew Heavens Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Department, Karabakh, Thomson Locations: Taghavard, Nagorno, Karabakh, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Baku, Russia, Yerevan, South Caucasus, Moscow, Russian, Tbilisi, Ottawa

☆ Industrials over tech? Gauging productivity play among AI ETFs
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-26 | by ( Kevin Schmidt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

BOTZ has been a key beneficiary of the AI advance, garnering $594 million in inflows this year, according to FactSet. While many investors see AI as a tech play, Todd Sohn, ETF and technical strategist at Strategas Securities, believes that the benefit of industrials is an under-the-radar narrative worth taking a second glance at. And because data is what's driving AI, Maier said, larger companies like Amazon , Alphabet and Meta Platforms best retain that type of exposure. "Right now, [data] is what AI is, while we're trying to figure out where AI is going," he said. But for investors looking to diversify beyond the tech wave, Sohn affirmed that industrials are poised to benefit from the rise in AI-induced efficiency and productivity in robotics and automation companies.

Persons: Jon Maier, CNBC's Bob Pisani, Maier, it's, BOTZ, Todd Sohn, Sohn, " Sohn, AIQ, industrials Organizations: Robotics, Intelligence, Nvidia, Strategas Securities, Technology, Global Locations: BOTZ, U.S, outflows

☆ Yellen to tout U.S. economy's resilience, jobs recovery in major speech
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( Andrea Shalal | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

WASHINGTON, Aug 10 (Reuters) - U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen will highlight the U.S. economy's continuing resilience in a major speech in Las Vegas on Monday, touting the creation of 13 million new jobs and progress in driving down inflation, a Treasury official said. Yellen will speak at a training center operated by the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) union after touring its cutting-edge clean energy training programs where workers learn how to install solar panels. The Treasury official said Yellen will say the U.S. economy is on the right track toward stable growth, while underscoring the need to remain vigilant on potential challenges. She will note that the resilience of the U.S. economy - which she hailed in a major speech last July - has lasted over the past year despite many naysayers, who warned it could not last, the official added. Yellen will argue that the IRA is making the U.S. less vulnerable to fossil fuel price shocks and strengthening clean energy supply chains, while creating good-paying jobs, the official said.

Persons: Janet Yellen, Yellen, Joe Biden, Biden, Andrea Shalal, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: . Treasury, Treasury, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Reuters, U.S, Thomson Locations: Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S

☆ Wall St ends up, extends recent gains on cooling US inflation
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( Caroline Valetkevitch | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Wednesday's CPI report showed U.S. consumer prices registered their smallest annual increase in more than two years. The reports have helped to support the view the Federal Reserve will stop hiking rates after an expected 25 basis points rate increase later this month. Technology-related shares provided the most support to the S&P 500, and an index of tech-focused shares including megacaps (.NYFANG) gained 2.7% and registered a record high close. Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., July 7, 2023. The S&P 500 posted 51 new 52-week highs and one new low; the Nasdaq Composite recorded 135 new highs and 39 new lows.

Persons: Mona Mahajan, Edward Jones, Brendan McDermid, JPMorgan Chase, Alan Lancz, Alan B, Bard, Caroline Valetkevitch, Johann M Cherian, Sinead Carew, Shashwat Chauhan, Saumyadeb Chakrabarty, Maju Samuel, Deepa Babington Organizations: Dow, Nasdaq, Federal Reserve, PPI, . Technology, Dow Jones, Nvidia, New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, JPMorgan, Lancz, Associates Inc, Air Lines, PepsiCo, Google, Inc, U.S, NYSE, Thomson Locations: U.S, Philadelphia, New York City, Toledo , Ohio, Europe, Brazil, Bengaluru, New York

☆ Wall St ends up, extends recent gains after producer prices data
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( Caroline Valetkevitch | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Wednesday's CPI report showed U.S. consumer prices registered their smallest annual increase in more than two years. The reports have helped to support the view the Federal Reserve will stop hiking rates after an expected 25 basis points rate increase later this month. "PPI is another confirmation this week that inflation continues to trend in the right direction even as we see better overall labor market and consumer data. According to preliminary data, the S&P 500 (.SPX) gained 37.73 points, or 0.84%, to end at 4,509.89 points, while the Nasdaq Composite (.IXIC) gained 219.35 points, or 1.58%, to 14,138.31. Delta Air Lines (DAL.N) shares gained after it lifted its full-year profit outlook following stronger-than-expected second-quarter earnings on a relentless post-pandemic travel boom.

Persons: Mona Mahajan, Edward Jones, JPMorgan Chase, Alan Lancz, Alan B, Bard, Caroline Valetkevitch, Johann M Cherian, Sinead Carew, Shashwat Chauhan, Saumyadeb Chakrabarty, Maju Samuel, Deepa Babington Organizations: Delta Air Lines, Federal Reserve, PPI, Nasdaq, Dow Jones, Nvidia, JPMorgan, Lancz, Associates Inc, Air Lines, PepsiCo, Google, Inc, Thomson Locations: Philadelphia, Toledo , Ohio, Europe, Brazil, Bengaluru, New York

☆ UK wage growth matches record high, keeping BoE under pressure
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( William Schomberg | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

"The labour market became less tight in May and there are some signs of momentum in wage growth slowing a bit," Ashley Webb, an economist with Capital Economics, said. "But with wage growth still well above the levels consistent with the 2% inflation target, this won't ease the Bank of England's inflation fears significantly." The BoE is monitoring pay growth closely as it assesses how much inflationary pressure remains in Britain's economy even after its 13 back-to-back interest rate increases. "But it always has taken a little time for changes in labour market slack to influence wage growth and some leading indicators remain encouraging." Annual pay growth including bonuses sped up to 6.9%, the fastest on record excluding the coronavirus pandemic period when government job subsidies distorted the data, the ONS said.

Persons: Sterling, Ashley Webb, BoE, Andrew Bailey, Samuel Tombs, William Schomberg, Sachin Ravikumar, Kate Holton, Christina Fincher Organizations: Reuters, of England, Sterling, Bank of England, National Statistics, Capital Economics, of, Pantheon, MPC, Thomson

☆ Generative AI is bringing back cloud demand after IT budgets were slashed, and this boom could be a big win for Amazon, analysts say
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( Ellen Thomas | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Deal cycles are back to closing at about 30 to 60 days in Q2, a Mizuho Bank report said. The demand for generative AI, which operates in the cloud, has driven the stabilization. The big cloud-computing budget cut could be subsiding thanks to generative AI, and Amazon Web Services could benefit massively, according to a new survey of CIOs from Mizuho Bank. CIOs who were focused on trimming cloud budgets in the first quarter are now looking to spend those savings on generative AI. Customers are especially excited about Bedrock, Amazon's foundational model for developers to build generative AI on, because of its privacy features, the survey said.

Persons: CIOs, Mizuho, Bernstein, Bard Organizations: Mizuho Bank, Amazon Web, Mizuho Bank's, AWS, Microsoft, Google, Analysts Locations: Mizuho, OpenAI

☆ Ukraine spy chief says nuclear threat at Zaporizhzhia plant subsiding
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] Major General Kyrylo Budanov, chief of the Military Intelligence of Ukraine, speaks during an interview with Reuters, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine July 6, 2023. REUTERS/Valentyn OgirenkoKYIV, July 6 (Reuters) - Ukraine's military spy chief said on Thursday that the threat of a Russian attack on the vast Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant was receding, but that it could easily return as long as the facility remained under occupation by Moscow's forces. The intelligence chief, Kyrylo Budanov, made the comment in an interview with Reuters after days of warnings by Ukrainian and Russian officials accusing each other of plotting an attack at Europe's largest nuclear plant. Budanov did not give details of what had been done to reduce the threat, or what it consisted of. "Sorry I can't tell you what happened recently but the fact is that the threat is decreasing", he said.

Persons: Kyrylo Budanov, Budanov, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, It's, let's, Tom Balmforth, Frank Jack Daniel Our Organizations: Military Intelligence, Reuters, REUTERS, Directorate of Intelligence, Ministry of Defence, Russian, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Kyiv, Valentyn, KYIV, Bakhmut

☆ Casey's CEO Darren Rebelez: Don't see elevated consumer packaged good prices subsiding
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-28 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailCasey's CEO Darren Rebelez: Don't see elevated consumer packaged good prices subsidingCasey's General Stores CEO Darren Rebelez joins 'Squawk on the Street' to discuss the company's latest strategic plan, how much inflation pressure has been passed along to consumers, and more.

Persons: Darren Rebelez

☆ US consumers' near-term inflation expectations hit two-year low; sentiment rises
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-16 | by ( Lucia Mutikani | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Summary Consumer sentiment index rises to 63.9 in June from 59.2One-year inflation expectations drop to 3.3% from 4.2%Long-run inflation expectations dip to 3.0% from 3.1%WASHINGTON, June 16 (Reuters) - U.S. consumers' near-term inflation expectations dropped to more than a two-year low in June and the outlook over the next five years improved slightly, according to a survey on Friday that also showed sentiment perking up. "The Fed will be gratified that the surge in inflation expectations in the late-1970s and early 1980s has not been repeated," said Conrad DeQuadros, senior economic advisor at Brean Capital in New York. The University of Michigan survey's reading of one-year inflation expectations dropped to 3.3% this month, the lowest since March 2021, from 4.2% in May. The survey's preliminary reading on the overall index of consumer sentiment came in at a four-month high of 63.9 in June compared with 59.2 in May. Its measure of consumer expectations rose to 61.3 from 55.4 last month.

Persons: Conrad DeQuadros, Joanne Hsu, Robert Frick, Lucia Mutikani, Daniel Wallis, Chizu Organizations: University of Michigan's, Fed, Wednesday, Brean, The University of Michigan, Treasury, Reuters, Consumers, Navy Federal Credit Union, Thomson Locations: WASHINGTON, New York, U.S, Washington, Vienna , Virginia

☆ US producer inflation subsides as energy, food prices drop
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-14 | by ( Lucia Mutikani | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Reuters GraphicsGoods prices, which rose 0.2% in April, were last month depressed by a 6.8% tumble in energy prices. Gasoline prices plummeted 13.8%, accounting for 60% of the decrease in goods prices. The cost of services rose 0.2% after advancing 0.3% in April, driven by margins for automobiles and parts retailing. Excluding the volatile food and energy components, the so-called core goods prices edged up 0.1% last month, matching April's gain. The narrower measure of core PPI, which strips out food, energy and trade services components, was unchanged after inching up 0.1% in April.

Persons: Andrew Kelly, Christopher Rupkey, Veronica Clark, Jerome Powell, Lucia Mutikani, Chizu Nomiyama, Andrea Ricci Organizations: REUTERS, PPI, Labor Department, Federal Reserve, Reuters Graphics, Fed, Reuters, Treasury, Citigroup, CPI, Thomson Locations: Manhattan , New York City, U.S, WASHINGTON, New York, Ukraine

☆ US consumer price increases slow; underlying inflation sticky
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-13 | by ( Lucia Mutikani | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

But food prices rose 0.2% after being unchanged for two consecutive months as fruits and vegetables, nonalcoholic beverages and other food products became more expensive. While the unemployment rate rose to a seven-month high of 3.7%, that was from a 53-year low of 3.4% in April. The so-called core CPI increased 0.4% in May, rising by the same margin for the third straight month. Beyond May, however, overall core inflation is expected to slow, driven by a moderation in rents and resumption in price declines for used cars and trucks. "We expect a more noticeable deceleration in core prices in the coming months," said Michael Pugliese, a senior economist with Wells Fargo in New York.

Persons: Kathy Bostjancic, Joe Biden, I've, Biden, nonfarm, Michael Pugliese, Wells, Lucia Mutikani, Chizu Nomiyama, Paul Simao, Andrea Ricci Organizations: Federal Reserve, Labor Department, Fed, Nationwide, Reuters, Treasury, Reuters Graphics, Thomson Locations: WASHINGTON, New York, U.S, Ukraine

☆ Dollar steady, with Fed pause eyed in busy c.bank week
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-12 | by ( Rae Wee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Policy meetings of the Fed, the European Central Bank (ECB) and the Bank of Japan (BOJ) will set the tone for the week, as markets seek clues from policymakers on the future path of interest rates. The U.S. dollar index clocked a loss of nearly 0.5% last week, its worst weekly drop since mid-April, and was last marginally higher at 103.58. The euro slipped 0.02% to $1.0744 in early Asia trade, after having risen 0.4% last week, its first weekly gain in roughly a month. "Central banks have raised rates aggressively over the past 12-15 months and given the lagged effects with which monetary policy affects demand, are central banks teeing up for a pause, following the RBNZ's example?" "We change our BOJ call to no YCC revision at this week's meeting," said Societe Generale's Jin Kenzaki, referring to the central bank's controversial yield curve control policy.

Persons: Alvin Tan, Jin Kenzaki, Rae Wee, Muralikumar Organizations: European Central Bank, Bank of Japan, Asia FX, RBC Capital Markets, Money, U.S, Reuters, ECB, ANZ, Reserve Bank of New, Thomson Locations: SINGAPORE, Asia, Australia, Reserve Bank of New Zealand

☆ Japan's wholesale inflation eases, goods close to consumers continue to rise
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-12 | by ( Leika Kihara | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Summary May wholesale prices up 5.1% yr/yr vs f'recast +5.5%Slowdown in wholesale inflation in line with BOJ viewFood, machinery prices up, signals broadening inflationTOKYO, June 12 (Reuters) - Japan's wholesale inflation slowed for a fifth consecutive month in May because of sliding fuel and commodity prices, data showed on Monday, a sign cost-push pressure that has driven up consumer inflation may be subsiding. The data underscores the central bank's view that consumer inflation will slow in coming months as global commodity prices slide from last year's peak levels. The corporate goods price index (CGPI), which measures the price companies charge each other for goods and services, rose 5.1% in May compared with a year earlier, BOJ data showed, slower than the median market forecast for a 5.5% gain. The rise came after a revised 5.9% increase in April and was well off the peak of 10.6% hit in December last year, as prices of electricity, fuel, nonferrous metals and chemical goods fell, data showed. Japan's core consumer inflation hit 3.4% in April as companies continued to raise prices, casting doubt on the BOJ's view that inflation will slowly move back below 2% toward the latter half of the current fiscal year ending in March 2024.

Persons: Leika Kihara, Kim Coghill, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Bank of Japan, Reuters, Thomson

☆ Dollar steady, with Fed pause eyed in busy central bank week
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-12 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Policy meetings of the Fed, the European Central Bank and the Bank of Japan will set the tone for the week, as markets seek clues from policymakers on the future path of interest rates. The U.S. dollar index clocked a loss of nearly 0.5% last week, its worst weekly drop since mid-April, and was last marginally higher at 103.58. "Outside of the decisions that the central banks make at this meeting, what will be of particular interest is their forward guidance," economists at ANZ wrote in a note. "Central banks have raised rates aggressively over the past 12-15 months and given the lagged effects with which monetary policy affects demand, are central banks teeing up for a pause, following the RBNZ's example?" "We change our BOJ call to no YCC revision at this week's meeting," said Societe Generale's Jin Kenzaki, referring to the central bank's controversial yield curve control policy.

Persons: Alvin Tan, Jin Kenzaki Organizations: European Central Bank, Bank of Japan, Asia FX, RBC Capital Markets, Money, U.S, Reuters, ECB, ANZ, Reserve Bank of New Locations: Asia, Australia, Reserve Bank of New Zealand

☆ Morning Bid: Markets level, Aussie hikes, crypto judders
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

It raised interest rates by a quarter-point on Tuesday to an 11-year high and warned further tightening may be required to ensure that inflation returns to target, boosting the Aussie dollar as markets had been leaning towards a pause. Eyes will now be trained on the Bank of Canada's latest policy decision on Wednesday, with many forecasting it will resume tightening interest rates after a four-month pause. The crypto world was far from calm, with Bitcoin trying to find its feet after a 5% recoil to three-month lows on Monday. The Securities and Exchange Commission complaint listed 13 charges against Binance, Zhao and the operator of its purportedly independent U.S. exchange. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

Persons: Mike Dolan, Binance, Changpeng Zhao, Zhao, Nansen, Antony Blinken, Smucker Organizations: Apple, Federal Reserve, Reserve Bank of Australia, Bank of Canada's, . U.S, Securities, Exchange, Binance, U.S, Saudi, Smucker Reuters Graphics, PMI Reuters Graphics Reuters, Reuters, Thomson Locations: U.S, Australia, ., Saudi Arabia

☆ US job growth beats expectations in May
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-02 | by ( Lucia Mutikani | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Nonfarm payrolls increased by 339,000 jobs last month, the Labor Department said in its closely watched employment report on Friday. Data for April was revised up to show payrolls rising by 294,000 jobs instead of 253,000 as previously reported. Despite strong hiring, the unemployment rate rose to 3.7% from a 53-year low of 3.4% in April. The backfilling of these retirements and increased demand for services are some of the factors driving job growth. Most economists expect payrolls growth to continue at least through the end of the year.

Persons: Lucia Mutikani, Chizu Organizations: Federal Reserve, Labor Department, Reuters, Fed, Thomson Locations: U.S

☆ Morning Bid: China factory fright, dollar surges
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The yuan , now down more than 3% from its early May peaks, skidded to its lowest level of the year against the dollar as investors considered the possibility of further credit easing by the Chinese central bank. The dollar index hit its highest level since mid-March, with the European inflation news and China demand picture knocking the euro to its lowest in two months too. German import prices fell at an annual rate of 7% in April and the ECB's financial stability report warned about a "disorderly" hit to house prices from higher mortgage rates. The House Rules Committee voted 7-6 on Tuesday to approve the rules allowing a debate and vote by the full chamber. Overall, stock markets slipped back slightly - with Hong Kong's Hang Seng index the big underperformer after the Chinese factory release.

Persons: Mike Dolan, Loretta Mester, Philip Jefferson, Susan Collins, Patrick Harker, Christine Lagarde, Jane Merriman Organizations: Federal Reserve, Cleveland Fed, Wednesday's Financial, European Central Bank, Dallas Fed, Boston, Philadelphia Fed, Consumer, Thomson, Reuters Locations: U.S, Europe, China, Italy, Chicago

☆ NYC is so heavy it's sinking as fast as Venice, Italy, new calculations suggest
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-20 | by ( Erin Snodgrass | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

New York City is sinking at a rate of 1 to 2 mm per year, according to a recent US government study. Venice, Italy — the "floating city" — is sinking at the same rate. The problem of subsidence is likely to worsen as coastal cities continue to grow in population. And the problem is likely to worsen as coastal cities around the world continue to grow in population and building density, researchers said. And while 1 to 2 mm is the average throughout the city, some parts of New York City are subsiding even faster.

At the same time, he said the job market is showing an "unprecedented" break from past behavior with a steady drop in job openings without any rise in the unemployment rate. The big unknown is whether that continued job market health is consistent with inflation falling steadily from its current levels above 4% back to the Fed's 2% target. That could allow the job market to cool without as much of a rise in unemployment as might otherwise be the case. Economists and policymakers at this week's conference pointed to other factors adding to the case for a soft landing. But at this point the "uncertainty" about what's at work in the economy could, some officials feel, mask developments that are working in their favor.

☆ Fed officials expect US interest rates to stay high
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

May 15 - U.S. central bankers on Monday signaled they see interest rates staying high and, if anything, going higher, given sticky inflation - a stark contrast with the market's view that the Federal Reserve will be cutting rates well before 2023 is over. Inflation has eased some and should cool further, he said, but the process will not be quick enough to merit rate cuts anytime soon. Minneapolis Fed President Neel Kashkari said the Fed probably has "more work to do on our end, to try to bring inflation back down." "We still are well in excess of our 2% inflation target, and we need to finish the job." And he said he believes the full impact of the Fed's rate hikes so far have yet to be felt.

☆ Japan's wholesale inflation slows, may ease pressure on BOJ
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( Leika Kihara | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The data may diminish market expectations that broadening inflationary pressure will prod the Bank of Japan to seek an early exit from ultra-low interest rates. "Having said that, we'll likely see price growth slow as import-driven inflationary pressure is already subsiding." Analysts are closely watching moves in wholesale prices, considered a leading indicator of consumer price trends, for clues on whether consumer inflation will heighten enough for the BOJ to phase out its massive stimulus. Japan's core consumer inflation hit 3.1% in March and an index excluding fuel costs rose at the fastest annual pace in four decades in a sign of broadening price pressure. BOJ Governor Kazuo Ueda has said the central bank will keep monetary policy ultra-loose unless the recent rise in consumer inflation is driven more by robust domestic demand, and accompanied by higher wage growth.

☆ US annual inflation increase slows to below 5%, price pressures still strong
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Lucia Mutikani | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Consumer prices decelerated to 4.9% year-on-year, the 10th straight month of slowdown as prices react to the Fed's rate-tightening cycle. Excluding the volatile food and energy components, the CPI increased 0.4% last month, matching March's gain. Though rents continued to put upward pressure on the core CPI, rental inflation is poised to ease. The government reported last week that the rental vacancy rate increased to a two-year high in the first quarter. In the 12 months through April, the core CPI gained 5.5% after advancing by 5.6% in March.

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