PCE report shows U.S. inflation remained mostly level in July, though some prices edged up
Prices rose at an annual pace of 2.6% in July, the same rate as the previous month and in line with economist forecasts.
www.cbsnews.comHere’s the latest overview of the PCE (Personal Consumption Expenditures) report news, as of now.
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What the PCE measures: The PCE price index tracks inflation based on what households actually buy, and the core PCE excludes food and energy to show underlying inflation trends. It’s the Federal Reserve’s preferred inflation gauge.
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Recent readings (high level):
- In late-2024 to early-2025, headlines highlighted that the core PCE had been inching higher month-to-month in some periods, raising questions about how quickly inflation might cool and what that means for Fed policy (potential for slower or fewer rate cuts if core inflation stays firm).[1][5]
- By late 2024, the headline PCE had cooled toward the Fed’s 2% target, with reports noting the index reaching levels near or just above 2% year-over-year, sparking expectations of potential easing in the policy stance if labor markets cooled further and inflation stayed on a manageable trajectory (though the pace of cooling varied by month).[3][6]
- In 2025, coverage continued to emphasize the inflation backdrop as markets priced in the path of Fed rate moves, with some reports noting that the PCE readings were broadly in line with expectations and did not deliver major surprises, keeping rate-cut expectations sensitive to incoming data.[4][5]
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What this means for markets and policy:
- If the core PCE remains sticky or accelerates, markets may expect the Fed to keep policy tighter for longer, with potential for smaller or delayed rate cuts.[5][1]
- If PCE readings slow meaningfully toward the 2% target, traders often anticipate more aggressive easing in the following quarters, potentially supporting a softer stance on rates.[6][3]
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Where to check for the latest numbers:
- The BEA (Bureau of Economic Analysis) releases the official PCE price index data on its website, with regular updates that include both headline and core readings.[8]
- Major outlets (CBS News, Barron’s, Yahoo Finance) offer summaries and implications right after the BEA release, including market reactions and Fed-rate implications.[2][9][4]
If you’d like, I can pull the most current BEA release and provide a concise, dated summary with the latest month-over-month and year-over-year figures for both headline and core PCE, plus a quick interpretation of what that implies for Fed policy and markets. I can also fetch current market expectations for the federal funds rate based on futures pricing and provide a short, numbered snapshot.