Fed's preferred annual inflation indicator unchanged at 2.6% in July, below 2.7% estimates

By Ovunc Kutlu

ISTANBUL (AA) - The US Federal Reserve's preferred annual inflation indicator remained unchanged at 2.6% in July, according to Commerce Department figures released Friday.

The figure came in slightly lower than market expectations of 2.6% after the core personal consumption expenditures (PCE) price index also annually rose 2.6% in June.

On a monthly basis, the core PCE price index increased 0.2% in July, following a 0.2% month-on-month increase in June, and came in line with market estimates.

The PCE price index, which includes food and energy prices, annually rose 2.5% in July, after increasing 2.5% in June year-on-year, also coming lower than market expectations of 2.6%.

That index, on a monthly basis, increased 0.2% in July, following a 0.1% gain in June, and also coming in line with market estimates.

The slight gains in PCE and core PCE figures are not expected to change investors' anticipation that the Fed will deliver its first interest rate cut at the conclusion of its two-day meeting on Sept. 18.

The Fed has made a total of 11 interest rate increases between March 2022 and July 2023 to tame the record inflation, carrying the federal funds rate to the 5.25%-5.5% target range – the highest in 22 years.

The US central bank skipped four rate hikes last year, and five more this year.