A worrisome bout of inflation struck the economy in April, with U.S. consumer prices for goods and services surging 0.8%, the largest monthly jump in more than a decade, and the year-over-year increase reaching its fastest rate since 2008.
The acceleration in prices, which has been building for months, has unsettled financial markets and raised concerns that it could weaken the economic recovery from the pandemic recession.
Wednesday's report from the Labor Department showed sharply higher prices for everything from food and clothes to housing. A 10% surge in the prices of used cars and trucks — a record jump — accounted for roughly one-third of last month's increases. Prices for vehicles, both used and new, have been soaring as a result of a computer chip shortage that has slowed auto production and reduced dealer supplies.
Over the past 12 months, consumer prices have jumped 4.2% — the fastest rise since a 4.9% gain in the 12 months that ended in September 2008. Excluding volatile food and energy, core inflation rose 0.9% in April and 3% over the past 12 months.
After years of dormant inflation, with the Federal Reserve struggling to increase it, worries about rising prices have shot to the top of economic concerns. Shortages of goods and parts related to disrupted supply chains have been a key factor.
The Fed, led by Chair Jerome Powell, has repeatedly expressed its belief that inflation will prove temporary as supply bottlenecks are unclogged and parts and goods flow normally again. But some economists have expressed concern that as the economic recovery accelerates, fueled by rising demand from consumers spending freely again, so will inflation.
“It looks like inflation pressures are not only building but are likely to be here at least through the rest of the year,” said Joel Naroff, chief economist at Naroff Economic Advisors. “With growth robust, firms have a measure of pricing power tat they haven't had in decades, and they appear to be using it.”
Investors, too, have grown increasingly jittery. On Tuesday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average sank more than 470 points — 1.4% — its worst day since Feb. 26.
Wednesday's inflation report showed that food prices rose 0.4%, the biggest such increase since a 0.5% rise last June. Energy costs, though, edged down 0.1%, with gasoline pump prices falling 1.4%, the biggest drop since May 2020.
Last month, Powell suggested at a news conference that Fed officials expect inflation to move above its 2% annual target over the next few months. The Fed has said it will allow prices to rise slightly above 2% for a period of time to make up for the past decade's shortfalls in inflation.
Powell has said that as long as the increase in inflation doesn't appear to be hurting consumer and business expectations about price increases, the central bank would be willing to let prices rise without acting to raise interest rates. That view has been supported by comments from other Fed officials including Lael Brainard, a board member who warned Tuesday against a premature Fed tightening that could harm the economy.
You've probably seen a traditional shipping container, but did you know that thousands of them sit empty at ports around the world and make supply chain issues worse? Staxxon says it has a solution: a foldable shipping crate that can be stacked with several others in order to save space, time, money, and even carbon emissions. George Kochanowski, CEO and CTO of Staxxon, joins Closing Bell to discuss its foldable containers, how the containers work with current shipping technology, and how they might save retailers money and space.
A recent survey from tech giant HP shows that while women are very interested in advancing their careers, men are still promoted at a much higher rate. Managing Director of North America at HP Stephanie Dismore joined Cheddar News to discuss the data and how changes brought on by the pandemic helped — and hurt — women in the workforce. "This whole idea of hybrid working is a challenge, but it's also an opportunity. And ideally what it can do for women is provide extreme flexibility, and it gives them an opportunity to really be very vocal about what they need and how they can contribute the best in the environment that they're in," she said. "However, at the same time, while women are applying and wanting to advance their careers. COVID actually had the reverse effect. And if you look at other studies, one in four women actually took a step back from their careers or exited the workforce altogether."
Apple made Academy Awards history this week when it won the best picture award for "Coda," available exclusively on its streaming platform, Apple TV+. It beat streaming rivals Netflix and Amazon Prime to the punch, and the trophy could strengthen its streaming ambitions as well as bring in more subscribers to compete in the space. Dan Ives, Managing Director of Equity Research at Wedbush Securities, joins Closing Bell to discuss Apple's big win, what it means for the company and the streaming space, its content strategy, and more. "I think it's really a feather in the cap, but I think it's going to propel the streaming ambitions significantly, not just from A+ Hollywood circles coming to Apple but also from a subscriber perspective," he said. "This is a major shot across the bow."
Cynthia Hollen, CEO and Co-Founder, Mavi.io, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell, where she explains why MAVI OnMyWay provides a more convenient alternative to commerce, as the solution allows people to order food, phone chargers, and other products while driving.
Stacey Rudser, president of the Association for Women in Aviation Maintenance, joins Cheddar News to talk about the lack of diversity in the aviation maintenance sector and what needs to change.
Intel CEO Patrick Gelsinger recently warned Congress that the U.S. 'must act now' to boost chip manufacturing domestically before it's too late. The chipmaking giant is working to ramp up its own domestic chip production with plans for a mega-site in Ohio as the global chip shortage only intensifies, hitting everything from smartphones to cars. Daniel Newman, a founding partner and principal analyst at Futurum Research, joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss Intel's plans, Gelsinger's push for Congress to pass the CHIPS Act, and the potential political ramifications of boosting semiconductor manufacturing in parts of the United States.
