Read the highlights of this week’s commentary from Helios:
- The US CPI report for March showed that both the headline and core CPI, which excludes food and energy, increased by 0.4%, surpassing forecasts by 0.1 percentage point. The core CPI’s growth marked the third consecutive month at this rate, the highest since early last year. On a year-over-year basis, the headline CPI rose to 3.5% from 3.2% in February, and the core CPI remained at 3.8%, with both figures exceeding economists’ estimates.
- Over half of the overall CPI increase was attributed to rising housing and gasoline costs, with shelter prices being particularly persistent. Despite expectations from Federal Reserve policymakers for a reduction in shelter costs, there has been no indication of this happening, with rent and owners’ equivalent rent both increasing by 0.4%.
- Last week, the S&P 500 posted its biggest weekly drop of the year and gold reached a new high, surpassing $2,400 an ounce, amid escalating tensions between Israel and Iran. Year-to-date, gold has risen almost 14%, outpacing last year’s 13% gain, driven by factors such as Middle East and Ukraine tensions, China’s economic issues, and inflation expectations. Some analysts believe gold is an appealing hedge against geopolitical risks and US inflation, compared to government bonds.
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