Gasoline jump drives March inflation to 3.3%
March CPI rose 0.9% from February and 3.3% from a year earlier as the Iran war pushed gasoline and other fuel costs higher.
Ben Carter is a staff writer at P&L, covering markets, dealmaking, and public companies. He previously worked in equity research, focusing on valuation, earnings, and IPOs.
March CPI rose 0.9% from February and 3.3% from a year earlier as the Iran war pushed gasoline and other fuel costs higher.
U.S. payrolls rose in March, but the labor-force participation rate fell to 61.9%, its lowest since 1977 outside the pandemic.
Investors are treating the Iran shock as temporary, even as Nuveen strategist Laura Cooper warns more attacks on Gulf energy infrastructure may be underpriced.
U.S. labor-force participation fell to 61.9% in March, its weakest level since 1977, as an aging population and immigration crackdown limit worker supply.
Tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz stayed near a standstill after the U.S.-Iran ceasefire, even as U.S. oil slipped below $100 a barrel.
March CPI rose 0.9% and 3.3% from a year earlier as gasoline and oil surged after the war with Iran pushed energy prices higher.
Brent crude traded at $96 a barrel as investors weighed inflation risks, with economists expecting annual CPI at 3.4% and gas prices to surge.
U.S. labor-force participation fell to 61.9% in March, the lowest since 1977 outside the pandemic, even as employers kept adding jobs.
March CPI rose 0.9% as gasoline prices jumped 21.2%, the biggest monthly gain since 1967, adding pressure to household budgets and other prices.
Georgieva said the war points to “higher prices and slower growth,” even if fighting stopped immediately.
Markets swung after the truce, with oil logging its biggest one-day drop since April 2020 before recovering and equities extending gains on expectations inflation would hold steady.
Abu Dhabi’s oil chief said the Strait of Hormuz is still not open, and Brent crude climbed back above $99 a barrel as traders priced in shipping risk.