|

US Inflation preview: Year-ago base effects to drag headline and core rates down – Scotiabank

Analysts at Scotiabank offer a sneak peek at what they expect from Wednesday’s US inflation release.

Key quotes

“The Cleveland Fed’s inflation ‘nowcast’ points toward inflation running a tenth or two beneath 9% y/y and it has been slightly underestimating actual CPI inflation for several months.”

“Further, while some PMIs have been indicating lessening price pressures, small businesses are not.”

“Other drivers are somewhat mixed.”

“Year-ago base effects will shift toward dragging the year-over-year headline and core rates down by about a half percentage point or slightly less in both cases.”

“July is typically a modest month for seasonality.”

“House prices will probably keep owners’ equivalent rent on the hot side.”

“All-grades retail gasoline prices fell by over 7% m/m NSA and about half that in seasonally adjusted terms. Henry hub natural gas prices fell by about 5% m/m NSA but the tiny weight on piped gas of under 1% should mean minimal drag.”

“Used vehicle prices seem to have fallen and are estimated to knock about 0.1% m/m off overall inflation while new vehicle prices seemed to be fairly flat.”

“Food-at-home and food-away-from-home are assumed to combine for another gain of around 1% m/m but pressures may be abating.”

“There is also likely to be an ongoing reopening effect upon prices as pent-up services demand continues to get unleashed.”

Author

Dhwani Mehta

Dhwani Mehta

FXStreet

Residing in Mumbai (India), Dhwani is a Senior Analyst and Manager of the Asian session at FXStreet. She has over 10 years of experience in analyzing and covering the global financial markets, with specialization in Forex and commodities markets.

More from Dhwani Mehta
Share:

Markets move fast. We move first.

Orange Juice Newsletter brings you expert driven insights - not headlines. Every day on your inbox.

By subscribing you agree to our Terms and conditions.

Editor's Picks

EUR/USD edges above 1.1750 due to ECB-Fed policy divergence

EUR/USD has recovered its recent losses registered in the previous session, trading around 1.1760 during the Asian hours on Friday. Traders will likely observe Germany’s Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index data later in the day.

GBP/USD gathers strength above 1.3450 on Fed rate cut bets, BoE's gradual policy path

The GBP/USD pair gathers strength to around 1.3480 during the early Asian session on Friday. Expectations of the US Federal Reserve rate cuts this year weigh on the US Dollar against the Pound Sterling. Philadelphia Fed President Anna Paulson is set to speak later on the weekend. 

Gold climbs to near $4,350 on Fed rate cut bets, geopolitical risks

Gold price rises to near $4,345 during the early Asian session on Friday. Gold finished 2025 with a significant rally, achieving an annual gain of around 65%, its biggest annual gain since 1979. The rally of the precious metal is bolstered by the prospect of further US interest rate cuts in 2026 and safe-haven flows.

Bitcoin trades in compression as 2026 begins with structure still unresolved

BTC/USD remains locked in a two-way structure, with micro supply-and-demand levels guiding early-year price behaviour.

Economic outlook 2026-2027 in advanced countries: Solidity test

After a year marked by global economic resilience and ending on a note of optimism, 2026 looks promising and could be a year of solid economic performance. In our baseline scenario, we expect most of the supportive factors at work in 2025 to continue to play a role in 2026.

Crypto market outlook for 2026

Year 2025 was volatile, as crypto often is.  Among positive catalysts were favourable regulatory changes in the U.S., rise of Digital Asset Treasuries (DAT), adoption of AI and tokenization of Real-World-Assets (RWA).