Inflation is starting to slow down consumption and hurting consumer confidence. Poor Biden.
Last week US CPI inflation for June rose at a stunning 0.9% MoM, or 11% annualized, placing it among the highest sequential inflation readings in the past 40 years. Sure, much of the reading can be chalked up to used car prices and airline tickets, which are unlikely to continue to rise at this pace and may actually fall back. Still, food inflation rose 0.8% MoM, energy inflation rose 1.5% MoM, and rents increased 0.5% MoM. When food, energy and rent prices rise like this it inevitably starts to crimp consumer confidence and consumption related activity. That may be what we are seeing now.