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Cool-ish PPI reading paves way for CPI report 

The Producer Price Index (PPI) reading for December came in slightly lower than expected, with a 0.2% rise compared to projections of a 0.4% increase. The Core PPI, which excludes food and energy, remained unchanged at +0.3% from November. Analysts believe this sets the stage for the more anticipated Consumer Price Index (CPI) reading, scheduled for tomorrow. However, they caution investors not to interpret the lower reading as a signal for future rate cuts. Analysts are predicting that headline CPI will increase to 2.9% annually in December, up from 2.7% in November, while Core CPI is expected to remain unchanged at 3.3% for the same period. The PPI reading has slightly increased the likelihood of a 25bps interest rate cut in March, with Fed funds futures pricing in a 21.6% chance, up from 19.4% the previous day.

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