Consumer Price Index

What is the US CPI?

The Consumer Price Index released by the US Bureau of Labor Statistcs measures price movements by comparing the retail prices of a representative basket of goods and services. Inflation reduces the purchasing power of the US Dollar (USD), and the CPI is a key indicator to measure inflation and changes in purchasing trends. Generally, a higher CPI reading is seen as positive (bullish) for the USD, while a lower reading is viewed as negative (bearish).

Why it matters to traders?

The US Federal Reserve (Fed) has a dual mandate: to maintain price stability and achieve maximum employment. As part of this mandate, inflation is targeted at around 2%. Inflation became a critical challenge for the Fed, especially in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic, with the CPI reaching multi-decade highs due to persistent supply-chain issues and bottlenecks. The Fed decided to increase interest rates sharply to tame inflation.