Read the highlights of this week’s commentary from Helios:
August’s inflation report worried markets and triggered a selloff in the S&P 500. Monthly prices rose 0.1% and yearly prices rose 8.3%. While declines in energy helped, rising prices across much of the rest of the economy propelled prices upward with monthly core prices, which exclude food and energy, rising 0.6%. The hotter-than-expected report is likely to put the Fed in a more hawkish position for longer.
The Fed meets September 20-21 and the market, based on Fed futures, is expecting a 75 basis point hike, with a small probability for a full point hike.
Consumer sentiment continued to improve in the preliminary September report, with long-term inflation expectations falling to the lowest level in more than a year. However, consumers still are uncertain about current and future economic prospects with overall sentiment still at some of its lowest readings over the last few decades.
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