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progree

progree's Journal
progree's Journal
September 27, 2024

Graphs and summary table of all 3 inflation measures (PCE, CPI, PPI)

The inflation situation as of the release of the PCE Inflation Index (Fed's preferred inflation gauge) on 9/27/24. Here is a summary table followed by the graphs.

CME Fedwatch tool (predicts Fed interest rate changes):https://www.cmegroup.com/markets/interest-rates/cme-fedwatch-tool.html

I annualize them all to be easy to compare to each other, and to compare to the FED's 2% goal. I use the actual index values rather than the one-digit changes that are commonly reported in the media. Links to the data are with the graphs.

ALL the numbers are the seasonally adjusted ones

The "1 month" number is the change from July to August expressed as an annualized number. Except the PCE is the increase from June to July, also annualized.

The "3 month" number is the growth over the last 3 months (and then annualized). It is calculated based on the change in the index number between the latest one and the one 3 months previous. e.g. if the latest index value is 304 and the one 3 months previous is 300, then the 3 month increase is 1.333333%
. . . (304/300 = 1.01333333 => [subtract 1 and multiply by 100%] => 1.333333%)
Annualized, it is 5.4%
. . . (1.01333333^4 = 1.0544095 => [subtract 1 and multiply by 100%] => 5.44095% => 5.4%).
. . . Most people just multiply the 3 month increase by 4 to annualize it: 1.333333%*4 = 5.333333% => 5.3% which isn''t technically correct (it leaves out compounding) but it is close for small percentage changes.

"Regular" is the "headline" number that has "everything"

"Core" is the regular with food and energy removed (The Fed prefers this as a basis for projecting FUTURE inflation)

Finally, the main summary table
All are seasonally adjusted and ANNUALIZED
PCE-Personal Consumption Expenditures Price Index (Fed's favorite inflation measure)
CPI-Consumer Price Index (retail)
PPI-Producer Price Index (Wholesale prices)
Links to the data are with the graphs below



Average real (i.e. inflation-adjusted) hourly earnings are up over the past 2 years and are above the pre-pandemic level:
. . . # Real average hourly earnings of production and non-supervisory workers: https://data.bls.gov/timeseries/CES0500000032
. . . # Real average hourly earnings of private sector workers: https://data.bls.gov/timeseries/CES0500000013

And now the graphs, in the following order:

* Core PCE and Regular PCE (Core PCE is the Fed's favorite for projecting FUTURE inflation), released 9/27/24

* Core CPI and Regular CPI

* Wholesale inflation - Core PPI and Regular PPI

CORE PCE through AUGUST that came out 9/27/24 (PCE=Personal Consumption Expenditures price index)
CORE PCE (seasonally adjusted): https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/PCEPILFE
BEA.gov News release: https://www.bea.gov/ and click on "Personal Income and Outlays" or "Personal Income"

This is the one that the Fed weighs most heavily. The Fed weigh the PCE more heavily than the CPI. And in both cases, they weigh the CORE measures higher than the regular headline measures for projecting FUTURE inflation



Regular PCE through AUGUST that came out 9/27/24
Regular PCE (seasonally adjusted): https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/PCEPI
BEA.gov News release: https://www.bea.gov/ and click on "Personal Income and Outlays" or "Personal Income"




CORE CPI through August that came out 9/11/24
CORE CPI (seasonally adjusted) http://data.bls.gov/timeseries/CUSR0000SA0L1E
BLS CPI news release: https://www.bls.gov/news.release/cpi.nr0.htm



The Regular aka Headline CPI through August that came out 9/11/24 (CPI=Consumer Price Index)
Regular CPI (seasonally adjusted) https://data.bls.gov/timeseries/CUSR0000SA0
BLS CPI news release: https://www.bls.gov/news.release/cpi.nr0.htm



Some Additional CPI Series of Interest
Shelter, which is pretty much all rent -- either regular rent or "owners' equivalent rent", has been a problematic issue -- because changes in new rents take several months before they appreciably move the CPI (because of the inertia of 11 months of older rents). It is the largest component of the Core CPI and one of the largest of the regular CPI. Through August, shelter remained elevated at 0.4% month over month for several months, except for a smaller 0.2% increase in June., and a larger 0.5% increase in August. Year-over-year, shelter is up 5.2%

Shelter: https://data.bls.gov/timeseries/CUSR0000SAH1

Core Inflation less Shelter: https://data.bls.gov/timeseries/CUSR0000SA0L12E
^--This is up 0.0% for 3 months in a row, followed by +0.1% in August. The 3 month annualized average is +0.0% (compare to core of +2.1%)

Click on "More Formatting Options" on the upper right hand of screen, and on the page that appears, choose some or all of: "1-Month Percent Change", "3-Month Percent Change" and "12-Month Percent Change".

Headline CPI and Fed Rate Action

November 2019 through August 2024

The first tentative little quarter point rate increase was March 17, 2022, 12 months after year-over-year inflation went north of 2% in March 2021, and had reached 8.5%.

I'm fond of the 3 month averages as they are an average of 3 data points (so can't be easily dismissed as a "one off", unlike a single month-over-month figure), and they have much more recency than 12 month averages (yoy). I think of them as kinda a smoothed version of month-to-month.

FedFunds Target Rate (I used the upper end of the 0.25% width bracket): https://www.federalreserve.gov/monetarypolicy/openmarket.htm



WHOLESALE INFLATION (PPI - the Producer Price Index)

https://www.bls.gov/news.release/ppi.nr0.htm

As for which core PPI measure, since the BLS highlights the one below (without food, energy, and trade services) in its reporting (as opposed to the one without food and energy), then I guess I should do likewise. Trade services bounce around a lot from month to month, so I think excluding them from a core measure is the right thing to do.

CORE PPI (excluding food, energy, trade services) through August that came out 9/12/24:
CORE PPI (seasonally adjusted) http://data.bls.gov/timeseries/WPSFD49116



===========================================================

Regular PPI through August that came out 9/12/24 ( includes "everything" ):
Regular PPI (seasonally adjusted) http://data.bls.gov/timeseries/WPSFD4

September 12, 2024

Markets - graphs: Dow, Oil, Dollar, Pound, Euro

The graphs in the old Stock Market Watch update automatically. So they are up-to-date a few hours after each close.

Click LINKS TO GRAPHS (last Stock Market Watch)
Click bond yields and interest rates (post#4 below)

I always enjoyed scrolling through the graphs to see the trends, THANKS TANSY_GOLD !!!

Fortunately, since they update on their own, we can still see the latest (as of today's close, a few hours after the close) or as of the preceding day's close, even though the SMW is weeks or months old.

Unfortunately the text (e.g. Dow, S&P 500, and Nasdaq) don't update, maybe there's a source for those that can be embedded and updates itself like the graphs, I'm not willing to type these in every day. Maybe weekly at the end of the week. I'll ask General Computer Help for any ideas if somebody doesn't have a solution here.

Myself, I look at the "ribbon of market values" at the top of https://finance.yahoo.com , but I've long been set to the old version of that page, and I'm not sure anyone new to that page see that ribbon of values at the top (or try this, its always had the ribbon : https://finance.yahoo.com/calendar )

S&P 500,   Dow 30,   Nasdaq,   Russell 2000 (small caps),   Crude Oil,   Gold,   Silver,   Euro,   10-Year Treasury,   Pound,   Yen,    Bitcoin,   XRP (some cryptocurrency thing),   FTSE (UK market),   Nikkei

Trouble in paradise: Much of the time, after market close, when I click the above finance.yahoo.com   or   finance.yahoo.com/calendar link, it shows me futures. Sometimes that's what I want. But often I want to see the last closing price. And when the market is open, it shows the current moment's prices. That is usually what I want, but if I'm wanting to see the last closing prices, well, its additional work to get those, one at a time, e.g. click on Dow and then it will put up a page with last closing price and numerous other stats. Repeat above for the S&P 500 ... It's strange that in this day and age everything has to be so damn hard when it could be real easy.

Bonds Here's a mini-page on current yields of Treasuries: 13 week, 5Y, 10Y, and 30Y. https://finance.yahoo.com/bonds/
(The "CBOE Interest Rate 10 Year T No" is just the 10 year treasury yield. Why they couldn't label it "Treasury Yield 10 Years" -- the same as they label the 5 year version "Treasury Yield 5 Years", and the 30 year version "Treasury Yield 30 Years" -- I don't know

For more on bonds, see post#4 .

A few more useful links

GDPNow (estimate of GDP in next quarter) -

Latest Inflation graphs and summary table for all 3 major inflation measures: CPI, PCE, PPI (wholesale prices), both the headline "all items" version and the "core" version. The next update will be when the CPI comes out October 10 (followed by the PPI the next day). If I'm tardy in updating the above link, try my journal, it should be near the top.

FedWatch - CME FedWatch Tool (predicts Feds Fund rates) https://www.cmegroup.com/markets/interest-rates/cme-fedwatch-tool.html

Economic Reports Calendar - https://www.marketwatch.com/economy-politics/calendar     MahatmaKaneJeeves thread of this calendar - dunno if the link is permanent, so for now look for it in pinned posts at the top of the Economy Group listings.

An interesting article - The stock market is the most accurate predictor of presidential elections -
September 12, 2024

Graphs. And a "sticky" Core PPI and enhanced probability (87%) that Feds will cut only 0.25%

The inflation situation as of the release of the CPI on 9/11/24 and the PPI (producer price index) on 9/12/24. Here is a summary table followed by the graphs.

Thanks to the sticky CORE CPI, the CME Fedwatch tool https://www.cmegroup.com/markets/interest-rates/cme-fedwatch-tool.html is predicting an 87% chance the Fed will cut interest rates a quarter of a point, and 13% chance they will cut half a point. Last week, before yesterday's CPI and today's PPI reports, they were predicting a 60% chance the Fed will cut interest rates a quarter of a point, and 40% chance they will cut half a point.

I annualize them all to be easy to compare to each other, and to compare to the FED's 2% goal. I use the actual index values rather than the one-digit changes that are commonly reported in the media. Links to the data are with the graphs.

ALL the numbers are the seasonally adjusted ones

The "1 month" number is the change from July to August expressed as an annualized number. Except the PCE is the increase from June to July, also annualized.

The "3 month" number is the growth over the last 3 months (and then annualized). It is calculated based on the change in the index number between the latest one and the one 3 months previous. e.g. if the latest index value is 304 and the one 3 months previous is 300, then the 3 month increase is 1.333333%
. . . (304/300 = 1.01333333 => [subtract 1 and multiply by 100%] => 1.333333%)
Annualized, it is 5.4%
. . . (1.01333333^4 = 1.0544095 => [subtract 1 and multiply by 100%] => 5.44095% => 5.4%).
. . . Most people just multiply the 3 month increase by 4 to annualize it: 1.333333%*4 = 5.333333% => 5.3% which isn''t technically correct (it leaves out compounding) but it is close for small percentage changes.

"Regular" is the "headline" number that has "everything"

"Core" is the regular with food and energy removed (The Fed prefers this as a basis for projecting FUTURE inflation)

Finally, the main summary table
All are seasonally adjusted and ANNUALIZED
PCE-Personal Consumption Expenditures Price Index (Fed's favorite inflation measure)
CPI-Consumer Price Index (retail)
PPI-Producer Price Index (Wholesale prices)
Links to the data are with the graphs below



Average real (i.e. inflation-adjusted) hourly earnings are up over the past 2 years and are above the pre-pandemic level:
. . . # Real average hourly earnings of production and non-supervisory workers: https://data.bls.gov/timeseries/CES0500000032
. . . # Real average hourly earnings of private sector workers: https://data.bls.gov/timeseries/CES0500000013

And now the graphs, in the following order:

* Core CPI and Regular CPI

* Core PCE and Regular PCE (Core PCE is the Fed's favorite for projecting FUTURE inflation)

* Wholesale inflation - Core PPI and Regular PPI < == This is from today, 9/12/24. Scroll down (or Control End) to see it

CORE CPI through August that came out 9/11/24
CORE CPI (seasonally adjusted) http://data.bls.gov/timeseries/CUSR0000SA0L1E
BLS CPI news release: https://www.bls.gov/news.release/cpi.nr0.htm



The Regular aka Headline CPI through August that came out 9/11/24 (CPI=Consumer Price Index)
Regular CPI (seasonally adjusted) https://data.bls.gov/timeseries/CUSR0000SA0
BLS CPI news release: https://www.bls.gov/news.release/cpi.nr0.htm



Some Additional CPI Series of Interest
Shelter, which is pretty much all rent -- either regular rent or "owners' equivalent rent", has been a problematic issue -- because changes in new rents take several months before they appreciably move the CPI (because of the inertia of 11 months of older rents). It is the largest component of the Core CPI and one of the largest of the regular CPI. Through August, shelter remained elevated at 0.4% month over month for several months, except for a smaller 0.2% increase in June., and a larger 0.5% increase in August. Year-over-year, shelter is up 5.2%

Shelter: https://data.bls.gov/timeseries/CUSR0000SAH1

Core Inflation less Shelter: https://data.bls.gov/timeseries/CUSR0000SA0L12E
^--This is up 0.0% for 3 months in a row, followed by +0.1% in August. The 3 month annualized average is +0.0% (compare to core of +2.1%)

Click on "More Formatting Options" on the upper right hand of screen, and on the page that appears, choose some or all of: "1-Month Percent Change", "3-Month Percent Change" and "12-Month Percent Change".

Headline CPI and Fed Rate Action

November 2019 through August 2024

The first tentative little quarter point rate increase was March 17, 2022, 12 months after year-over-year inflation went north of 2% in March 2021, and had reached 8.5%.

I'm fond of the 3 month averages as they are an average of 3 data points (so can't be easily dismissed as a "one off", unlike a single month-over-month figure), and they have much more recency than 12 month averages (yoy). I think of them as kinda a smoothed version of month-to-month.

FedFunds Target Rate (I used the upper end of the 0.25% width bracket): https://www.federalreserve.gov/monetarypolicy/openmarket.htm

CORE PCE through JULY that came out 8/30/24 (PCE=Personal Consumption Expenditures price index)
CORE PCE (seasonally adjusted): https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/PCEPILFE
BEA.gov News release: https://www.bea.gov/ and click on "Personal Income and Outlays" or "Personal Income"

This is the one that the Fed weighs most heavily. The Fed weigh the PCE more heavily than the CPI. And in both cases, they weigh the CORE measures higher than the regular headline measures for projecting FUTURE inflation



Regular PCE through JULY that came out 8/30/24
Regular PCE (seasonally adjusted): https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/PCEPI
BEA.gov News release: https://www.bea.gov/ and click on "Personal Income and Outlays" or "Personal Income"





WHOLESALE INFLATION (PPI - the Producer Price Index)

https://www.bls.gov/news.release/ppi.nr0.htm

As for which core PPI measure, since the BLS highlights the one below (without food, energy, and trade services) in its reporting (as opposed to the one without food and energy), then I guess I should do likewise. Trade services bounce around a lot from month to month, so I think excluding them from a core measure is the right thing to do.

CORE PPI (excluding food, energy, trade services) through August that came out 9/12/24:
CORE PPI (seasonally adjusted) http://data.bls.gov/timeseries/WPSFD49116



===========================================================

Regular PPI through August that came out 9/12/24 ( includes "everything" ):
Regular PPI (seasonally adjusted) http://data.bls.gov/timeseries/WPSFD4

September 11, 2024

Graphs. And a discrepancy in the BLS numbers on 12 month inflation

The inflation situation as of the release of the CPI on 9/11/24. Here is a summary table followed by the graphs.

I annualize them all to be easy to compare to each other, and to compare to the FED's 2% goal. I use the actual index values rather than the one-digit changes that are commonly reported in the media. Links to the data are with the graphs.

ALL the numbers are the seasonally adjusted ones

The "1 month" number is the change from June to July expressed as an annualized number. Except the CPI (today's report) is the increase from July to August, also annualized.

The "3 month" number is the growth over the last 3 months (and then annualized). It is calculated based on the change in the index number between the latest one and the one 3 months previous. e.g. if the latest index value is 304 and the one 3 months previous is 300, then the 3 month increase is 1.333333%
. . . (304/300 = 1.01333333 => [subtract 1 and multiply by 100%] => 1.333333%)
Annualized, it is 5.4%
. . . (1.01333333^4 = 1.0544095 => [subtract 1 and multiply by 100%] => 5.44095% => 5.4%).
. . . Most people just multiply the 3 month increase by 4 to annualize it: 1.333333%*4 = 5.333333% => 5.3% which isn''t technically correct (it leaves out compounding) but it is close for small percentage changes.

"Regular" is the "headline" number that has "everything"

"Core" is the regular with food and energy removed (The Fed prefers this as a basis for projecting FUTURE inflation)

Finally, the main summary table
All are seasonally adjusted and ANNUALIZED
PCE-Personal Consumption Expenditures Price Index (Fed's favorite inflation measure)
CPI-Consumer Price Index (retail)
PPI-Producer Price Index (Wholesale prices)
Links to the data are with the graphs below



. . ^^----- this is the discrepancy I mentioned in my title line

Average real (i.e. inflation-adjusted) hourly earnings are up over the past 2 years and are above the pre-pandemic level:
. . . # Real average hourly earnings of production and non-supervisory workers: https://data.bls.gov/timeseries/CES0500000032
. . . # Real average hourly earnings of private sector workers: https://data.bls.gov/timeseries/CES0500000013

And now the graphs, in the following order:

* Core CPI and Regular CPI

* Core PCE and Regular PCE (Core PCE is the Fed's favorite for projecting FUTURE inflation)

* Wholesale inflation - Core PPI and Regular PPI

CORE CPI through August that came out 9/11/24
CORE CPI (seasonally adjusted) http://data.bls.gov/timeseries/CUSR0000SA0L1E
BLS CPI news release: https://www.bls.gov/news.release/cpi.nr0.htm



The Regular aka Headline CPI through August that came out 9/11/24 (CPI=Consumer Price Index)
Regular CPI (seasonally adjusted) https://data.bls.gov/timeseries/CUSR0000SA0
BLS CPI news release: https://www.bls.gov/news.release/cpi.nr0.htm



Some Additional CPI Series of Interest
Shelter, which is pretty much all rent -- either regular rent or "owners' equivalent rent", has been a problematic issue -- because changes in new rents take several months before they appreciably move the CPI (because of the inertia of 11 months of older rents). It is the largest component of the Core CPI and one of the largest of the regular CPI. Through August, shelter remained elevated at 0.4% month over month for several months, except for a smaller 0.2% increase in June., and a larger 0.5% increase in August. Year-over-year, shelter is up 5.2%

Shelter: https://data.bls.gov/timeseries/CUSR0000SAH1

Core Inflation less Shelter: https://data.bls.gov/timeseries/CUSR0000SA0L12E
^--This is up 0.0% for 3 months in a row, followed by +0.1% in August. The 3 month annualized average is +0.0% (compare to core of +2.1%)

Click on "More Formatting Options" on the upper right hand of screen, and on the page that appears, choose some or all of: "1-Month Percent Change", "3-Month Percent Change" and "12-Month Percent Change".

Headline CPI and Fed Rate Action

November 2019 through August 2024

The first tentative little quarter point rate increase was March 17, 2022, 12 months after year-over-year inflation went north of 2% in March 2021, and had reached 8.5%.

I'm fond of the 3 month averages as they are an average of 3 data points (so can't be easily dismissed as a "one off", unlike a single month-over-month figure), and they have much more recency than 12 month averages (yoy). I think of them as kinda a smoothed version of month-to-month.

FedFunds Target Rate (I used the upper end of the 0.25% width bracket): https://www.federalreserve.gov/monetarypolicy/openmarket.htm

CORE PCE through JULY that came out 8/30/24 (PCE=Personal Consumption Expenditures price index)
CORE PCE (seasonally adjusted): https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/PCEPILFE
BEA.gov News release: https://www.bea.gov/ and click on "Personal Income and Outlays" or "Personal Income"

This is the one that the Fed weighs most heavily. The Fed weigh the PCE more heavily than the CPI. And in both cases, they weigh the CORE measures higher than the regular headline measures for projecting FUTURE inflation



Regular PCE through JULY that came out 8/30/24
Regular PCE (seasonally adjusted): https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/PCEPI
BEA.gov News release: https://www.bea.gov/ and click on "Personal Income and Outlays" or "Personal Income"





WHOLESALE INFLATION (PPI - the Producer Price Index)

https://www.bls.gov/news.release/ppi.nr0.htm

As for which core PPI measure, since the BLS highlights the one below (without food, energy, and trade services) in its reporting (as opposed to the one without food and energy), then I guess I should do likewise. Trade services bounce around a lot from month to month, so I think excluding them from a core measure is the right thing to do.

CORE PPI (excluding food, energy, trade services) through July that came out 8/13/24:
CORE PPI (seasonally adjusted) http://data.bls.gov/timeseries/WPSFD49116



===========================================================

Regular PPI through July that came out 8/13/24 ( includes "everything" ):
Regular PPI (seasonally adjusted) http://data.bls.gov/timeseries/WPSFD4


August 30, 2024

Graphs of PCE, CPI, and PPI

The inflation situation as of the release of the PCE on 8/30/24. Here is a summary table followed by the graphs.

I annualize them all to be easy to compare to each other, and to compare to the FED's 2% goal. I use the actual index values rather than the one-digit changes that are commonly reported in the media. Links to the data are with the graphs.

ALL the numbers are the seasonally adjusted ones

The "1 month" number is the change from June to July expressed as an annualized number. Except the PCE is the increase from May to June, also annualized.

The "3 month" number is the growth over the last 3 months (and then annualized). It is calculated based on the change in the index number between the latest one and the one 3 months previous. e.g. if the latest index value is 304 and the one 3 months previous is 300, then the 3 month increase is 1.333333%
. . . (304/300 = 1.01333333 => [subtract 1 and multiply by 100%] => 1.333333%)
Annualized, it is 5.4%
. . . (1.01333333^4 = 1.0544095 => [subtract 1 and multiply by 100%] => 5.44095% => 5.4%).
. . . Most people just multiply the 3 month increase by 4 to annualize it: 1.333333%*4 = 5.333333% => 5.3% which isn''t technically correct (it leaves out compounding) but it is close for small percentage changes.

"Regular" is the "headline" number that has "everything"

"Core" is the regular with food and energy removed (The Fed prefers this as a basis for projecting FUTURE inflation)

Finally, the main summary table
All are seasonally adjusted and ANNUALIZED
PCE-Personal Consumption Expenditures Price Index (Fed's favorite inflation measure)
CPI-Consumer Price Index (retail)
PPI-Producer Price Index (Wholesale prices)
Links to the data are with the graphs below



Average real (i.e. inflation-adjusted) hourly earnings are up over the past 2 years and are above the pre-pandemic level:
. . . # Real average hourly earnings of production and non-supervisory workers: https://data.bls.gov/timeseries/CES0500000032
. . . # Real average hourly earnings of private sector workers: https://data.bls.gov/timeseries/CES0500000013

And now the graphs, in the following order:

* Core PCE and Regular PCE (Core PCE is the Fed's favorite for projecting FUTURE inflation)

* Core CPI and Regular CPI

* Wholesale inflation - Core PPI and Regular PPI

CORE PCE through JULY that came out 8/30/24 (PCE=Personal Consumption Expenditures price index)
CORE PCE (seasonally adjusted): https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/PCEPILFE
BEA.gov News release: https://www.bea.gov/ and click on "Personal Income and Outlays" or "Personal Income"

This is the one that the Fed weighs most heavily. The Fed weigh the PCE more heavily than the CPI. And in both cases, they weigh the CORE measures higher than the regular headline measures for projecting FUTURE inflation



Regular PCE through JULY that came out 8/30/24
Regular PCE (seasonally adjusted): https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/PCEPI
BEA.gov News release: https://www.bea.gov/ and click on "Personal Income and Outlays" or "Personal Income"




CORE CPI through July that came out 8/14/24
CORE CPI (seasonally adjusted) http://data.bls.gov/timeseries/CUSR0000SA0L1E
BLS CPI news release: https://www.bls.gov/news.release/cpi.nr0.htm



The Regular aka Headline CPI through July that came out 8/14/24 (CPI=Consumer Price Index)
Regular CPI (seasonally adjusted) https://data.bls.gov/timeseries/CUSR0000SA0
BLS CPI news release: https://www.bls.gov/news.release/cpi.nr0.htm



Some Additional CPI Series of Interest
Shelter, which is pretty much all rent -- either regular rent or "owners' equivalent rent", has been a problematic issue -- because changes in new rents take several months before they appreciably move the CPI (because of the inertia of 11 months of older rents). It is the largest component of the Core CPI and one of the largest of the regular CPI. Through July, shelter remained elevated at 0.4% month over month for several months, except for a smaller 0.2% increase in June. Year-over-year, shelter is up 5.0%

Shelter: https://data.bls.gov/timeseries/CUSR0000SAH1

Core Inflation less Shelter: https://data.bls.gov/timeseries/CUSR0000SA0L12E
^--This is up 0.0% for a 3rd month in a row, and a 3 month annualized average of +0.0% (compare to core of +1.6%)

Click on "More Formatting Options" on the upper right hand of screen, and on the page that appears, choose some or all of: "1-Month Percent Change", "3-Month Percent Change" and "12-Month Percent Change".

Headline CPI and Fed Rate Action

November 2019 through July 2024

The first tentative little quarter point rate increase was March 17, 2022, 12 months after year-over-year inflation went north of 2% in March 2021, and had reached 8.5%.

I'm fond of the 3 month averages as they are an average of 3 data points (so can't be easily dismissed as a "one off", unlike a single month-over-month figure), and they have much more recency than 12 month averages (yoy). I think of them as kinda a smoothed version of month-to-month.

FedFunds Target Rate (I used the upper end of the 0.25% width bracket): https://www.federalreserve.gov/monetarypolicy/openmarket.htm


WHOLESALE INFLATION (PPI - the Producer Price Index)

https://www.bls.gov/news.release/ppi.nr0.htm

As for which core PPI measure, since the BLS highlights the one below (without food, energy, and trade services) in its reporting (as opposed to the one without food and energy), then I guess I should do likewise. Trade services bounce around a lot from month to month, so I think excluding them from a core measure is the right thing to do.

CORE PPI (excluding food, energy, trade services) through July that came out 8/13/24:
CORE PPI (seasonally adjusted) http://data.bls.gov/timeseries/WPSFD49116



===========================================================

Regular PPI through July that came out 8/13/24 ( includes "everything" ):
Regular PPI (seasonally adjusted) http://data.bls.gov/timeseries/WPSFD4


August 14, 2024

Inflation graphs

The inflation situation as of the release of the CPI on 8/14/24. Here is a summary table followed by the graphs.

I annualize them all to be easy to compare to each other, and to compare to the FED's 2% goal. I use the actual index values rather than the one-digit changes that are commonly reported in the media. Links to the data are with the graphs.

ALL the numbers are the seasonally adjusted ones

The "1 month" number is the change from June to July expressed as an annualized number. Except the PCE is the increase from May to June, also annualized.

The "3 month" number is the growth over the last 3 months (and then annualized). It is calculated based on the change in the index number between the latest one and the one 3 months previous. e.g. if the latest index value is 304 and the one 3 months previous is 300, then the 3 month increase is 1.333333%
. . . (304/300 = 1.01333333 => [subtract 1 and multiply by 100%] => 1.333333%)
Annualized, it is 5.4%
. . . (1.01333333^4 = 1.0544095 => [subtract 1 and multiply by 100%] => 5.44095% => 5.4%).
. . . Most people just multiply the 3 month increase by 4 to annualize it: 1.333333%*4 = 5.333333% => 5.3% which isn''t technically correct (it leaves out compounding) but it is close for small percentage changes.

"Regular" is the "headline" number that has "everything"

"Core" is the regular with food and energy removed (The Fed prefers this as a basis for projecting FUTURE inflation)

Finally, the main summary table
All are seasonally adjusted and ANNUALIZED
PCE-Personal Consumption Expenditures Price Index (Fed's favorite inflation measure)
CPI-Consumer Price Index (retail)
PPI-Producer Price Index (Wholesale prices)
Links to the data are with the graphs below



Average real (i.e. inflation-adjusted) hourly earnings are up over the past 2 years and are above the pre-pandemic level:
. . . # Real average hourly earnings of production and non-supervisory workers: https://data.bls.gov/timeseries/CES0500000032
. . . # Real average hourly earnings of private sector workers: https://data.bls.gov/timeseries/CES0500000013

And now the graphs, in the following order:

* Core CPI and Regular CPI

* Core PCE and Regular PCE (Core PCE is the Fed's favorite for projecting FUTURE inflation)

* Wholesale inflation - Core PPI and Regular PPI


CORE CPI through July that came out 8/14/24
CORE CPI (seasonally adjusted) http://data.bls.gov/timeseries/CUSR0000SA0L1E
BLS CPI news release: https://www.bls.gov/news.release/cpi.nr0.htm



The Regular aka Headline CPI through July that came out 8/14/24 (CPI=Consumer Price Index)
Regular CPI (seasonally adjusted) https://data.bls.gov/timeseries/CUSR0000SA0
BLS CPI news release: https://www.bls.gov/news.release/cpi.nr0.htm



Some Additional CPI Series of Interest
Shelter, which is pretty much all rent -- either regular rent or "owners' equivalent rent", has been a problematic issue -- because changes in new rents take several months before they appreciably move the CPI (because of the inertia of 11 months of older rents). It is the largest component of the Core CPI and one of the largest of the regular CPI. Through July, shelter remained elevated at 0.4% month over month for several months, except for a smaller 0.2% increase in June. Year-over-year, shelter is up 5.0%

Shelter: https://data.bls.gov/timeseries/CUSR0000SAH1

Core Inflation less Shelter: https://data.bls.gov/timeseries/CUSR0000SA0L12E
^--This is up 0.0% for a 3rd month in a row, and a 3 month annualized average of +0.0% (compare to core of +1.6%)

Click on "More Formatting Options" on the upper right hand of screen, and on the page that appears, choose some or all of: "1-Month Percent Change", "3-Month Percent Change" and "12-Month Percent Change".

Headline CPI and Fed Rate Action

November 2019 - July 2024

The first tentative little quarter point rate increase was March 17, 2022, 12 months after year-over-year inflation went north of 2% in March 2021, and had reached 8.5%.

I'm fond of the 3 month averages as they are an average of 3 data points (so can't be easily dismissed as a "one off", unlike a single month-over-month figure), and they have much more recency than 12 month averages (yoy). I think of them as kinda a smoothed version of month-to-month.

FedFunds Target Rate (I used the upper end of the 0.25% width bracket): https://www.federalreserve.gov/monetarypolicy/openmarket.htm

CORE PCE through JUNE that came out 7/26/24 (PCE=Personal Consumption Expenditures price index)
CORE PCE (seasonally adjusted): https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/PCEPILFE
BEA.gov News release: https://www.bea.gov/ and click on "Personal Income and Outlays" or "Personal Income"

This is the one that the Fed weighs most heavily. The Fed weigh the PCE more heavily than the CPI. And in both cases, they weigh the CORE measures higher than the regular headline measures for projecting FUTURE inflation

I usually don't include the 6-month rolling average, but I had it handy, and it is fascinating how it gives such a different picture than the rolling 3 month average. The big reason for the difference is the huge January month-over-month increase (6.2% annualized), which is in the 6 month window, but not in the 3 month window. When January drops out of the 6 month window next month, it should look a lot different (i.e. it will show a downturn barring a shocker in next month's report)


Regular PCE through JUNE that came out 7/26/24
Regular PCE (seasonally adjusted): https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/PCEPI
BEA.gov News release: https://www.bea.gov/ and click on "Personal Income and Outlays" or "Personal Income"



WHOLESALE INFLATION (PPI - the Producer Price Index)

https://www.bls.gov/news.release/ppi.nr0.htm

As for which core PPI measure, since the BLS highlights the one below in its reporting (as opposed to the one without food and energy), then I guess I should do likewise.

CORE PPI (excluding food, energy, trade services) through July that came out 8/13/24:
CORE PPI (seasonally adjusted) http://data.bls.gov/timeseries/WPSFD49116



===========================================================

Regular PPI through July that came out 8/13/24 ( includes "everything" ):
Regular PPI (seasonally adjusted) http://data.bls.gov/timeseries/WPSFD4


August 1, 2024

Last December they did talk about rate cuts by now, but then January, Feb, and March happened

Here's what the CPI (consumer price index) looked like in mid April when the March data was published:





Everything then was at more than double the Fed's public decades-long-held 2% goal.

Back in 2021 and 2022 when inflation was growing, reaching 9% on a year-over-year basis and double digits on a 3 month average, just about everyone who posted about inflation here was blaming the Fed for being a bunch of dumb fucks for waiting too long to begin doing something about inflation, and being ding dongs for thinking it was transitory (or for deliberately trying to ruin President Biden's economic record by letting inflation roar). And how awful inflation is, e.g. food prices are 50% higher every time I go to the grocery store etc.

Now just about everyone has been blaming the Fed for months for not abandoning their 2% goal and for not easing sooner.

Headline CPI and Fed Rate Action

November 2019 - June 2024

The first tentative little quarter point rate increase was March 17, 2022, 12 months after year-over-year inflation went north of 2% in March 2021, and had reached 8.5%.

Data sources are at: https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1014&pid=3279441

July 26, 2024

More graphs: PCE 3 month and 1 month annualized, and similarly CPI and PPI. Regular and core

The inflation situation as of the release of the PCE on 7/26/24. Here is a summary table followed by the graphs.

I annualize them all to be easy to compare to each other, and to compare to the FED's 2% goal. I use the actual index values rather than the one-digit changes that are commonly reported in the media. Links to the data are with the graphs.

ALL the numbers are the seasonally adjusted ones

The "1 month" number is the change from April to May expressed as an annualized number.

The "3 month" number is the growth over the last 3 months (and then annualized). It is calculated based on the change in the index number between the latest one and the one 3 months previous. e.g. if the latest index value is 304 and the one 3 months previous is 300, then the 3 month increase is 1.333333%
. . . (304/300 = 1.01333333 => [subtract 1 and multiply by 100%] => 1.333333%)
Annualized, it is 5.4%
. . . (1.01333333^4 = 1.0544095 => [subtract 1 and multiply by 100%] => 5.44095% => 5.4%).
. . . Most people just multiply the 3 month increase by 4 to annualize it: 1.333333%*4 = 5.333333% => 5.3% which isn''t technically correct (it leaves out compounding) but it is close for small percentage changes.

"Regular" is the "headline" number that has "everything"

"Core" is the regular with food and energy removed (The Fed prefers this as a basis for projecting FUTURE inflation)

Finally, the main summary table
All are seasonally adjusted and ANNUALIZED
PCE-Personal Consumption Expenditures Price Index (Fed's favorite inflation measure)
CPI-Consumer Price Index (retail)
PPI-Producer Price Index (Wholesale prices)
Links to the data are with the graphs below



Average real (i.e. inflation-adjusted) hourly earnings are up over the past 2 years and are above the pre-pandemic level:
. . . # Real average hourly earnings of production and non-supervisory workers: https://data.bls.gov/timeseries/CES0500000032
. . . # Real average hourly earnings of private sector workers: https://data.bls.gov/timeseries/CES0500000013

And now the graphs, in the following order:

* Core PCE and Regular PCE (Core PCE is the Fed's favorite for projecting FUTURE inflation)

* Core CPI and Regular CPI

* Wholesale inflation - Core PPI and Regular PPI (so to see the 7/12 update, page down to the last graphs)

CORE PCE through JUNE that came out 7/26/24 (PCE=Personal Consumption Expenditures price index)
CORE PCE (seasonally adjusted): https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/PCEPILFE
BEA.gov News release: https://www.bea.gov/ and click on "Personal Income and Outlays" or "Personal Income"

This is the one that the Fed weighs most heavily. The Fed weigh the PCE more heavily than the CPI. And in both cases, they weigh the CORE measures higher than the regular headline measures for projecting FUTURE inflation

I usually don't include the 6-month rolling average, but I had it handy, and it is fascinating how it gives such a different picture than the rolling 3 month average. The big reason for the difference is the huge January month-over-month increase (6.2% annualized), which is in the 6 month window, but not in the 3 month window. When January drops out of the 6 month window next month, it should look a lot different (i.e. it will show a downturn barring a shocker in next month's report)


Regular PCE through JUNE that came out 7/26/24
Regular PCE (seasonally adjusted): https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/PCEPI
BEA.gov News release: https://www.bea.gov/ and click on "Personal Income and Outlays" or "Personal Income"



CORE CPI through June that came out 7/11/24
CORE CPI (seasonally adjusted) http://data.bls.gov/timeseries/CUSR0000SA0L1E
BLS CPI news release: https://www.bls.gov/news.release/cpi.nr0.htm



The Regular aka Headline CPI through June that came out 7/11/24 (CPI=Consumer Price Index)
Regular CPI (seasonally adjusted) https://data.bls.gov/timeseries/CUSR0000SA0
BLS CPI news release: https://www.bls.gov/news.release/cpi.nr0.htm



Some Additional CPI Series of Interest
Shelter, which is pretty much all rent -- either regular rent or "owners' equivalent rent", has been a problematic issue -- because changes in new rents take several months before they appreciably move the CPI (because of the inertia of 11 months of older rents). It is the largest component of the Core CPI and one of the largest of the regular CPI. Through May, shelter remained elevated at 0.4% month over month for several months. Fortunately, in June it fell to a 0.2% increase. Year-over-year, shelter is up 5.1%

Shelter: https://data.bls.gov/timeseries/CUSR0000SAH1

Core Inflation less Shelter: https://data.bls.gov/timeseries/CUSR0000SA0L12E
^--This is up 0.0% for a 2nd month in a row, and a 3 month annualized average of +0.8% (compare to core of +2.1%)

Click on "More Formatting Options" on the upper right hand of screen, and on the page that appears, choose some or all of: "1-Month Percent Change", "3-Month Percent Change" and "12-Month Percent Change".

Headline CPI and Fed Rate Action

November 2019 - June 2024

The first tentative little quarter point rate increase was March 17, 2022, 12 months after year-over-year inflation went north of 2% in March 2021, and had reached 8.5%.

I'm fond of the 3 month averages as they are an average of 3 data points (so can't be easily dismissed as a "one off", unlike a single month-over-month figure), and they have much more recency than 12 month averages (yoy). I think of them as kinda a smoothed version of month-to-month.

FedFunds Target Rate (I used the upper end of the 0.25% width bracket): https://www.federalreserve.gov/monetarypolicy/openmarket.htm


WHOLESALE INFLATION (PPI - the Producer Price Index)

https://www.bls.gov/news.release/ppi.nr0.htm

As for which core PPI measure, since the BLS highlights the one below in its reporting (as opposed to the one without food and energy), then I guess I should do likewise.

CORE PPI (excluding food, energy, trade services) through June that came out 7/12/24:
CORE PPI (seasonally adjusted) http://data.bls.gov/timeseries/WPSFD49116



===========================================================

Regular PPI through June that came out 7/12/24 ( includes "everything" ):
Regular PPI (seasonally adjusted) http://data.bls.gov/timeseries/WPSFD4



July 24, 2024

It's strictly a Medicare SUPPLEMENT (Medigap) thing. The 6-month Medigap open enrollment period is once in a lifetime

Here's what it said when I said I am turning 65 --
https://www.medicare.gov/supplements-other-insurance/when-can-i-buy-medigap

The best time to buy a Medigap policy is during your Medigap Open Enrollment Period. This is the 6-month period that starts the first day of the month you're 65 or older and signed up for Part B. After this period, your options to buy a Medigap policy may be limited and the policy may cost more.


https://www.medicare.gov/health-drug-plans/medigap/ready-to-buy
Get ready to buy
Your Medigap Open Enrollment Period

Under federal law, you get a 6 month Medigap Open Enrollment Period. It starts the first month you have Medicare Part B and you’re 65 or older. During this time, you:

* Can enroll in any Medigap policy.

* Will generally get better prices and more choices among policies.

* You can buy any Medigap policy sold in your state. An insurance company can’t use medical underwriting to decide whether to accept your application - they can’t deny you coverage due to pre-existing health problems.

* Can avoid or shorten waiting periods for a pre-existing condition if you buy a Medigap policy to replace creditable coverage. How do I know if I have creditable coverage?


After this period, you may not be able to buy a Medigap policy, or it may cost more. Your Medigap Open Enrollment Period is a one-time enrollment period. It doesn’t repeat every year, like the Medicare Open Enrollment Period.

Generally, your Medigap policy will begin the first of the month after you apply, but you can decide when you want it to start.

Graphic explaining how the Medigap Open Enrollment period works, including when it starts, how long it lasts, and when it ends.
View this image in Spanish.

What if I miss my Medigap Open Enrollment Period?
Outside of your Medigap Open Enrollment Period:

* You may have to pay more for a policy.

* Fewer policy options may be available to you.

* The insurance company is allowed to deny you a policy if you don’t meet their medical underwriting requirements.


There are certain situations where you may be able to buy a Medigap policy outside of your Medigap Open Enrollment Period. Situations where an insurance company can’t deny you a Medigap policy are called “guaranteed issue rights” or “Medigap protections.” What are guaranteed issue rights? ((this is a popup with numerous situations. For example one has a right to try Medicare Advantage for up to 12 months -Progree))

Check with your State Insurance Department to see if you can buy a Medigap policy outside of your Medigap Open Enrollment Period. You may have additional rights under state law.


All emphasis mine.

This is extremely very important information for people to know. People need to understand that they really really need to understand Medicare when they sign up (and when to sign up) and not wing it, thinking well I'll just sign up for something like a cheap or no premium Medicare Advantage plan, or riverboat gamble by just getting original Medicare (i.e. parts A and B with no supplement) and then learn more about it when I have time. Nope.

I have more on other issues with Medicare Supplement (Medigap) plans
https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1142&pid=20175

People are amazed that Medicare is this tricky, treacherous, and complicated. But that's what happens when legislation is made the same way that sausage is made. To be clear, I love Medicare, but it's not the nearly free seamless program that many imagine it to be. I'm paying $505 / month combined in premiums for Part B, the Supplement, and a Part D drug plan combined, so it certainly isn't low cost.
July 13, 2024

Why your air conditioning bill is about to soar - the energy required rises with the SQUARE of the temperature differenc

Why your air conditioning bill is about to soar , Washington Post, 7/12/24
(no paywall on this MSN-hosted article)
https://www.msn.com/en-us/weather/topstories/why-your-air-conditioning-bill-is-about-to-soar/ar-BB1pRxnN

(summarizing, in my words) Air conditioning costs rise with the SQUARE of the difference between the indoor and outdoor temperatures. e.g. if the indoor setpoint is 75 degrees, then an increase in outdoor temperature of just 4 degrees, from 96 to 100, increases AC cost 42% !. Just for the heat pump aspect of it. Other factors increase that further.

The math: the difference between 75 degrees and 96 degrees is 21 degrees.
The difference between 75 degrees and 100 degrees is 25 degrees
(25/21)^2 = 1.417 => 41.7% increase

Plus more than half the greenhouse gas consequences (and presumably more than half of the electricity cost) comes from dehumidying, which older AC's don't do efficiently. As if that's bad enough, the inability of older AC's to reduce the humidity enough causes people to lower their thermostats to feel comfortable -- yet even more expense and more greenhouse gas emissions.

(No indication of what an "older" A/C is, but mine is about 1968, yes 56 years old, so I know I qualify. But I live in Minneapolis, so I didn't run it at all last year, and so far haven't come close to feeling the need this year -- a fan works just fine. But just about every time I step outside I hear the neighbors' AC's blasting away).

The refrigerants used in AC's also contribute to global warming (they don't quantify)

Couple this with:

How a small rightward shift in the average daily high temperature produces a huge increase in the frequency of very hot days:
e.g. a 2% increase in the July average daily high in a locale with a July average daily high of 85 degrees (e.g. New York City) produces a 2.44 fold increase (144% increase) in the number of 103+ degree July days.
https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143266574#post1

Combine the 2 factors above, and one will find a massive increase in electricity bills (and ghg emissions) for a small shift in average temperature. I'm thinking about how to calculate the combined effect.

More on increased frequency of heat waves:

Heat Waves - decade by decade from the 1960's on - 4 bar charts: Heat Wave Frequency, Heat Wave Duration, ...
https://www.democraticunderground.com/1127174794

Profile Information

Gender: Male
Hometown: Minnesota
Member since: Sat Jan 1, 2005, 03:45 AM
Number of posts: 11,493

About progree

I'm a long-time resident of the Twin Cities area: S.E. Minneapolis 1977-1980 and Golden Valley 1980-present. I'm over 70. Still recovering from a serious year-long illness (multiple issues) that began July 2023 and continuing. . . Lately I'm best known here for my inflation graphs - scroll down my journal a short ways until graphs appear. I'm a frequent contributor to the latest economic reports on LBN and Economy Group. . . Update 9/26/24 - I'm 3/4 recovered and have 1/4 to go - that 1/4 may be permanent though since its been more than a year, but still some very slow improvement. *** I'm taking some time off from DU to deal with the piles on the floor (all kinds of mail and paper clutter) that accumulated while I was sick, and things that have long before that needed de-cluttering and organizing.
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