Welcome to this week’s edition of top stock market highlights.
US core consumer price index (CPI)
Investors who are hoping for some relief from high interest rates will feel disappointed.
Government data released this week showed that underlying US inflation came in at the high end of forecasts for a third consecutive month.
The core consumer price index (CPI) for March increased 0.4% from February while advancing by 3.5% from a year ago.
The year-on-year inflation number was higher than February’s 3.2% and was also slightly ahead of a panel of economists’ forecasts of a 3.4% annual increase.
This level of inflation is still above the 2% that the US Federal Reserve is targeting, though officials there did mention that the path towards the 2% level will be “bumpy”.
The statement seems to imply that officials are bracing for several upswings in the inflation rate before it firmly comes back down.
Investors have also adjusted their expectations on the interest rate cut...