consumer price index

Stories 21 - 29 | << Prev 

Dow Hikes Prices 20% on Chemicals in Many Products

Chemical company rips feds for energy policy it blames for higher costs

(Newser) - Skyrocketing energy costs prompted Dow Chemical to bump prices up to 20% yesterday on compounds that are the building blocks for thousands of consumer products, fanning inflation fears. Dow, one of the world’s largest chemical companies, ripped Washington for an energy policy it says has raised its energy costs...

Consumer Prices Rise in March; Oil Blasts Past $114

Jump in energy, food costs outweighs cheaper clothes; new record for crude

(Newser) - Consumer prices rose an anticipated 0.3% in March, propelled by hikes in the costs of energy, food, and airline tickets; a commodities rush and weak dollar also pushed crude oil to a record high today. Energy costs rose 1.9% in March, the AP reports, and the past year...

Consumer Prices Flat in Feb.
 Consumer Prices Flat in Feb. 

Consumer Prices Flat in Feb.

Lack of increase means Fed has an open door to a big rate cute next week

(Newser) - Consumer prices were flat for February, pleasantly surprising economists who expected a 0.2% increase, reports the Wall Street Journal. This morning’s consumer price index eases concerns that inflation is accelerating as the economy slows, and it gives the Federal Reserve more reason to float a large interest rate...

Inflation Spikes, Cut in Jeopardy
Inflation Spikes, Cut in Jeopardy

Inflation Spikes, Cut in Jeopardy

Fed may have hands tied, as CPI soars past expectations

(Newser) - Core inflation bounded ahead of expectations in January, which is bad news for anyone betting on a big rate cut from the Fed–and for the Fed itself. The consumer price index rose 0.4%, with core CPI rising 0.3%, putting the year-over-year figures at 4.3% and 2....

Consumer, Housing Numbers Slump
Consumer, Housing Numbers Slump

Consumer, Housing Numbers Slump

News isn't all gloomy: Demand for durable goods surges

(Newser) - Consumer confidence fell a bit less than expected but still approached a 2-year nadir in January, reinforcing fears that Americans will put the brakes on personal spending. In other economic reports out today, the S&P/Case-Shiller housing-price index report showed a 7.7% year-over-year drop for November, Bloomberg reports, and...

Consumer Prices Jump Most in 2 Years

CPI surge on rising energy costs sparks inflation worries

(Newser) - November’s consumer price index spiked 0.8%—the biggest rise since September 2005—as soaring energy costs pushed up prices on an array of  goods and services. The increase, higher than the 0.6% anticipated, reignites inflation worries, causing experts to predict that further Fed rate cuts are unlikely,...

Housing Starts Plummet to 14-Year Low

But modest consumer price hike soothes inflation fears

(Newser) - New homes starts fell to their lowest level in 14 years last month, plunging 10%—to an annualized rate of 1.191 million—after expectations of a 4.2% decline. The number followed a 3.2% drop in August, the Wall Street Journal reports. A homebuilders' confidence gauge registered its...

CPI Registers Spring Spike
CPI Registers Spring Spike

CPI Registers Spring Spike

Energy, food drive big May bump in consumer spending as core inflation stays cool

(Newser) - The consumer price index jumped 0.7% in May, riding high energy prices to its second-biggest spike in 16 years. But the volatile food and energy sectors appeared not to disrupt the rest of the economy, MarketWatch reports. The core CPI, which excludes food and gas prices, rose only 0....

Inflation Cools, Heats Wall Street
Inflation Cools, Heats Wall Street

Inflation Cools, Heats Wall Street

But gas prices, at record highs, still worrisome

(Newser) - The core consumer price index stayed steady last month, rising just 0.2% and cooling worries about inflation. The overall CPI, which responds to fluctuating food and energy costs, climbed 0.4%, still well within the comfort zone. That's good news for the Fed, which held interest rates steady last...

Stories 21 - 29 | << Prev 
Most Read on Newser