Inflation accelerated in January, bolstering the case for the Federal Reserve to continue raising interest rates at its next two meetings. January’s Consumer Price Index increased by 0.5% on the month, rising from a 0.1% increase in December, and by 6.4% on a 12-month basis, the Bureau of ... READ MORE >
energy prices
Producer prices ease as energy costs fall
Prices paid to domestic producers deflated for the second month in a row as energy prices continued to fall and food prices remained unchanged. August's producer inflation index for final demand fell by 0.1% from July, according to data released Wednesday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. On a ... READ MORE >
Canada’s inflation hits 5.7% in a warmup for what’s ahead
Canada's inflation rate hit 5.7% year over year in February, up from 5.1% in January, as price increases continued to broaden across categories, according to data from Statistics Canada on Wednesday. The eye-popping figures, however, do not capture price increases associated with Russia’s invasion of ... READ MORE >
U.S. retail sales lag inflation in February amid rising energy prices
Retail sales growth fell behind inflation increases in February, posting a weak 0.3% increase, as growth slowed down in most categories except gasoline stations. Consumer rationing because of rising gasoline prices already took place before the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Excluding sales at the gas ... READ MORE >
Consumer choice, self-rationing and preparing for shortages
The war in Ukraine, the cutoff of Russian exports and the possible removal of roughly 4.3 million barrels of crude from U.S. and European markets are likely to have a harmful impact on household balance sheets. Should the conflict continue, we expect it will result in price increases for everything ... READ MORE >
Energy shock: Potential impact of Russian invasion of Ukraine
A tight oil market and potential spillover from geopolitical competition has unnerved investors over the past few months, sending oil prices to elevated levels not observed in years. The price of oil has almost doubled since the start of last year and, given current tensions, is poised to move higher. ... READ MORE >
This week in energy: US LNG capacity, Canada pipelines, Europe’s natural gas supply
In this week's energy industry analysis, we take a look at the anticipated growth of U.S. liquefied natural gas production, the impact of the British Columbia floods on pipeline operations in Canada, and fears of a natural gas supply disruption in Europe. Growth expected for US LNG exports After ... READ MORE >
A bumpy path toward a net-zero future
As world energy leaders prepare to kick off a major United Nations conference on climate change on Sunday, the global energy crunch has added a new wrinkle to their ambitions: Nations, to keep their economies on track, are turning back to high-emissions coal as natural gas falls into short ... READ MORE >
China reacts to energy crunch with coal price reform
The global energy crunch continues, marked by surging commodity prices and building speculation around supply. This week, eyes are on China—the world’s largest exporter of goods—as the country grapples with ongoing shortages and their ripple effect across the nation’s economy and key commodities, ... READ MORE >
Global natural gas prices hit record as middle market girds for difficult winter
Global natural gas prices have climbed to record highs amid soaring demand fueled by the reopening of the economy and tight supplies. As power outages halt manufacturing and threaten climate commitments, businesses and consumers should brace themselves for a difficult winter. Middle market firms ... READ MORE >