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Financial Insights

Weekly Update

Weekly Update

Americans received a positive sign this week as inflation hit a three-year low, an encouraging boost as persistent high inflation continues to ease up.

Where Inflation is…and Isn’t…

The cost of restaurant meals continues to surge along with the cost some groceries, including eggs, frozen juices, and beef products which keep getting pricier. Auto insurance is surging, as owning a car has generally become pricier. Motor vehicle maintenance and repair costs have shown increases along with parking fees and tolls. Lastly, costs borne largely by seniors have been slower to cool as hospital-related services report higher than a year ago.

The price of used cars, notoriously steep during the pandemic, slowed in August, following a healthy decrease in July. Car and truck rentals were down largely from 2023. Various household goods showed cooldowns, including furniture and major appliances, and even everyday items like dishes and tableware all posted significant slower price growth compared to August 2023.

Speculations on a Fed rate cut will be answered next week

The rally in US government bonds on Friday can be attributed to the boost in likelihood of a large Federal Reserve rate cut set by traders this week. The likelihood increased as the anticipation lingers entering next week. The Federal Open Market Committee is set to meet starting next Tuesday, where the twelve members will discuss and vote on lowering rates. The question of lowering rates has been largely assumed with the real question being, how much of a cut will they agree on?

Next week’s article will bring you the answer to that question along with our thoughts on the impact on the economy and stock market.

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Biltmore Wealth Management
1400 E. Southern Avenue,
Suite 650, Tempe, AZ 85282
Mon to Sat – 9.00am to 6:00pm (Sunday closed)