Consumer Price Inflation Really Matters

The US has two primary measures of prices paid by consumers, for goods and services. These two consumer price index groups get constructed by separate Federal macroeconomic bureaus -- and behave differently -- over time. Our Chief Equity Strategist and Economist, John Blank, is here now to elaborate.

1. What are these two measures?

2. How do they differ from each other?

3. As I understand it, there are four categories or effects that summarize these two measures. Is that correct?

4. Are these forward or backward looking data points?

5. What’s the bottom line to this deep dive into consumer price inflation?

6. What about the Index of Leading Economic Indicators? How does that factor into this picture? Some say it’s a low-key recession signal.

7. Will all this data give the Fed a reason to ease up on its tightening?

8. Has this data caused you to change your outlook for GDP, the labor or housing markets going into year end?

9. You wrote recently that foreign stocks have been completely written off this year, yet you have your eye on three. Banco Do Brasil BDORY, Merck KGaA MKGAF and Ecopetrol EC.

Our Chief Equity Strategist & Economist, John Blank, with a bit of a deep dive into U.S. economic data. With John, I’m Terry Ruffolo.

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Merck KGaA (MKGAF) : Free Stock Analysis Report
 
Ecopetrol S.A. (EC) : Free Stock Analysis Report
 
Banco Do Brasil SA (BDORY) : Free Stock Analysis Report
 
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