Consumer inflation was tame in March as the Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose a measly 0.1%. That doesn’t seem like much below the 0.3% expected, however, that’s an annualized difference between 1.2% and 3.6% and the Fed’s target is 2.0%. For you numbers nerds out there, the Core CPI was also at 0.1%, vs. the 0.2% expected. The core year-over-year is actually above Fed expectations at 2.2%, though edging lower from the February reading of 2.3%. The difference comes from the relatively cheaper energy costs since this time last year. Oil prices have been coming up though since mid-January. Stocks and Bonds are both up a touch on the day.
