Last Week: Key Measures Show Low Inflation in July

While I was on vacation, there were several key economic releases. Here is the CPI release ...

Last week the Cleveland Fed released the median CPI and the trimmed-mean CPI this morning:

ccording to the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, the median Consumer Price Index rose 0.2% (1.8% annualized rate) in July. The 16% trimmed-mean Consumer Price Index also rose 0.2% (1.9% annualized rate) during the month. The median CPI and 16% trimmed-mean CPI are measures of core inflation calculated by the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland based on data released in the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ (BLS) monthly CPI report.

[Last week], the BLS reported that the seasonally adjusted CPI for all urban consumers rose 0.1% (1.6% annualized rate) in July. The CPI less food and energy also rose 0.1% (1.6% annualized rate) on a seasonally adjusted basis.

Note: The Cleveland Fed has the median CPI details for July here. Motor fuel was down sharply in July.

Click on graph for larger image.

This graph shows the year-over-year change for these four key measures of inflation. On a year-over-year basis, the median CPI rose 2.3%, the trimmed-mean CPI rose 1.7%, and the CPI less food and energy rose 1.8%. Core PCE is for June and increased 1.3% year-over-year.

On a monthly basis, median CPI was at 1.8% annualized, trimmed-mean CPI was at 1.9% annualized, and core CPI was at 1.6% annualized.

On a year-over-year basis these measures suggest inflation remains below the Fed's target of 2% (median CPI is above 2%).

Inflation is still low.

from Calculated Risk http://ift.tt/1LxkeZa
via YQ Matrix