• Jan 14, 2025

US inflation still slowing as producer prices rise below expectations in December

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. producer prices rose less than expected in December as higher costs for goods were partially offset by stable services prices, suggesting inflation remained on a downward trend after progress had stalled in recent months. The moderation in producer inflation reported by the Labor Department on Tuesday did not change the view that the Federal Reserve would not cut interest rates again before the second half of this year amid labor market resilience and the threat of potentially inflation-boosting tariffs on imported goods by President-elect Donald Trump's incoming administration. "Better than expected is not necessarily what the Fed wants to see before easing monetary conditions into a fast-growing economy, with tariffs and tax cuts on the agenda of the incoming administration," said Carl Weinberg, chief U.S. economist at High Frequency Economics.