# inflation
Latest news and articles about inflation
Total: 25 articles found
US Producer Prices Edge Higher in February, Complicating the Fed’s Path to Easier Policy
US producer prices in February exceeded expectations: core PPI rose 3.9% year‑on‑year and 0.5% month‑on‑month, while headline PPI climbed 0.7% month‑on‑month (3.4% YoY). The surprise increases the risk that inflation remains persistent, complicating Federal Reserve plans to cut rates and posing wider financial and global economic implications.
Powell Faces an Oil Shock: Markets Expect a Hold — The Real Drama Is the Dot‑Plot and Economic Forecasts
Markets expect the Fed to keep rates at 3.50–3.75% at its next meeting, but attention has turned to the dot plot and updated forecasts as an oil‑price shock from the Iran conflict raises the risk of renewed inflation. How Jerome Powell frames the trade‑off between growth and inflation will determine whether markets read the meeting as a postponement of easing or a signal that policy will stay tighter for longer.
China’s Economy Posts A “Good Start” to 2026 as High‑Tech Manufacturing and Exports Lead Recovery
January–February official data show China’s economy making a solid start to 2026, driven by strong gains in high‑technology manufacturing, robust export growth and a rebound in services and online consumption. The property sector remains a major drag, but infrastructure spending and private‑sector trade resilience are helping to stabilise overall activity.
China’s Inflation Tick-Up: Lunar New Year Travel and Services Push CPI to Three-Year High
China’s CPI rose 1.3% year-on-year in February — the highest pace in three years — driven largely by a Lunar New Year-fuelled jump in services and a rebound in food prices. Core inflation was 1.3% for January–February, indicating strengthening underlying demand even as officials stress ample supply and manageable risks.
Three Backlashes Bite Washington: Economic Pain, Domestic Politics and Fractured Alliances Shrink US Options on Iran
Since US and Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28, the campaign has produced three forms of blowback — sharp energy price rises, domestic political and security pushback, and fraying alliances — that limit Washington’s ability to sustain prolonged military pressure. These pressures increase the odds of a shorter, more constrained US approach or of escalating costs if the conflict continues.
How a Middle East War Turns into a Bill on Your Grocery Receipt
The US–Israel–Iran conflict has already translated into higher global energy, fertiliser and food prices as markets price disruption to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and interruptions to Middle Eastern petrochemical supplies. The shock exposes fragile supply chains, redistributes wealth toward energy exporters and defence suppliers, and risks re‑igniting inflation and a wage‑price spiral while accelerating costly near‑shoring of production.
Oil Shock and Fed Uncertainty Send Gold Tumbling $100 — Why Safe‑haven Flows Have Flipped
Gold plunged about $100 intraday on March 9 as oil prices spiked amid renewed Middle East violence, prompting a dollar rally and higher real yields that raised the opportunity cost of holding bullion. Traders increased put hedges even as futures net‑longs recovered, signaling protective positioning rather than a collapse of gold’s long‑term case.
Spike in Crude Forces Fourth Fuel Hike of 2026 as Chinese Drivers Queue and Costs Climb
China implemented its fourth retail fuel price increase of 2026 after international crude surged above $100 a barrel amid Middle East escalations. The rise has prompted queues at service stations and will raise costs for motorists and logistics firms, while analysts warn of further domestic increases if geopolitical tensions push oil higher.
China’s Consumer Prices Spike After Lunar New Year as Producer Inflation Continues to Recover
February’s data show China’s consumer prices rose sharply month‑on‑month after the Lunar New Year while producer‑price declines continued to narrow. The bounce is concentrated in services and selective industrial sectors, reflecting a seasonal consumption burst and policy‑driven improvements in supply and demand conditions.
China’s Retail Fuel Prices to Jump — Filling a 70L Tank Will Cost Nearly ¥40 More
China is set to raise retail fuel prices on March 9, with forecasts showing gasoline up about ¥0.50–0.56 per litre and diesel around ¥0.57 per litre. That will make filling a standard 70-litre car tank almost ¥40 more expensive, tightening cost pressures for households and transport-intensive businesses.
China’s Consumer Prices Tick Up as Producer Inflation Eases — Seasonal Consumer Bounce Meets Commodity-Driven Input Costs
February’s Chinese CPI rose 1.3% year-on-year and 1.0% month-on-month, boosted by a post-holiday surge in services. Producer prices continued to recover, with PPI up 0.4% month-on-month and an annual decline narrowing to 0.9%, reflecting rising commodity prices and firmer industrial demand.
China Set to See Biggest Fuel Price Jump This Year as Global Oil Rally Pushes Retail Pump Prices Higher
A sharp global oil rally has pushed international benchmarks to multi‑month highs, triggering China’s scheduled fuel‑price review on March 9. Regulators are expected to raise retail caps by about 500 yuan per tonne, the largest increase this year, raising pump prices and transport costs for consumers and businesses.