Inflation at 53-year low as QE money printing rages unabated!

<div><a href="http://www.infomine.com/investment/metal-prices/crude-oil/5-year/"><img border="0" src="http://charts.infomine.com?386" alt="5 Year Crude Oil Prices - Crude Oil Price Chart" width="180" height="150" /></a></div>

Exactly. Overlay that with the Fed's Balance sheet and you'll see something jump out right away!
 
<img src="http://www.infomine.com/ChartsAndData/GraphEngine.ashx?z=f&gf=110537.USD.bbl&dr=max">

<img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fa1HeYiuMMY/UM3TyNp9F2I/AAAAAAAAX8E/U9TN_vyRDpY/s1600/GDP1.png">
 
And even more on the "What Low-Flation?" meme....

What "Low-Flation"? Core CPI Jumps Most In 3 Years As Food Costs Push Higher

The Fed is losing its reasons for printing, leaving it desperate to revive the meme that the US economy is in self-sustaining recovery mode. At 2.0% Core CPI has caught up with the hot-flation of PPI removing the crutch of low-flation easement the Fed has been relying on. While Ex-Food-and-Energy is surging (well above expectations), the food index rose 0.5% in May after increasing 0.4% in each of the three previous months; and the index for food at home increased 0.7%, its largest increase since July 2011. This is all happening against a backdrop of real hourly wages dropping 0.1% YoY.

Does this look like the Fed has inflation concerns under control?

20140616_CPI_0.jpg


Driven by "Food at Home" costs soaring...

20140616_CPI1_0.jpg


The bottom line is that The Fed just hit its inflation target (in fact it exceeded it) and along with reaching its employment target (which has now been changed), there are very few defensible arguments for them to stay so easy - aside from saving us all from a fate worse than death, falling asset prices...
 
Can we get an update on the PPI FD? I believe there was a report last week. Zerohedge might have had a comment on it, too.

I thought I posted that somewhere already. My apologies.


20140514_PPIMOM_0.png


20140514_PPI_0.png


So what caused this surge in producer prices? Why food costs of course, which in April soared by 2.7%.

PPI%20April_0.jpg




Special grouping, Finished goods: The index for finished goods moved up 0.7 percent in April. (The finished goods index represents about two-thirds of final demand goods, through the exclusion of the weight for government purchases and exports. The finished goods index represents about one-quarter of overall final demand.) The broad-based increase was led by the index for finished consumer foods, which advanced 2.4 percent. Prices for finished goods less foods and energy and for finished consumer energy goods rose 0.3 percent and 0.5 percent, respectively. Within finished goods, higher prices for meats, gasoline, light motor trucks, residential electric power, processed poultry, and eggs for fresh use outweighed lower prices for residential natural gas, passenger cars, and soft drinks.



The index for unprocessed goods for intermediate demand rose 0.4 percent in April after edging down 0.1 percent a month earlier. Leading the advance, prices for unprocessed foodstuffs and feedstuffs moved up 3.6 percent.
In April, a 9.4-percent jump in prices for slaughter chickens led the advance in the index for unprocessed goods for intermediate demand. The indexes for slaughter hogs, corn, soybeans, carbon steel scrap, and crude petroleum also moved up.
 
I knew that you'd post it, to be fair. ; )

I didn't realize that the charts didn't include it. I have a feeling your smiley is there to somehow insinuate that this data helps your "lowflation" cause. Not sure why you would think that, as the 12 month rolling number is still 2% vs. 2.1% last month (wow, what relief). Especially since the commentary was about the 2.1% in May vs. the 1.4% the prior month. It is THAT number which is important.

Now, if you see a drop in the monthly number for several months, then you've got a leg to stand on. However, with oil prices moving back above $106, I wouldn't hold your breath.

Of course, you could make a predictive statement now which I would be glad to throw in your face later if you like. Why break with tradition?
 
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