Inflation is likely to have increased for a third straight month in May as the war with Iran sent energy prices higher and ratcheted up pressure on U.S. consumers. The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Consumer Price Index for last month will be released at 8:30 a.m. ET Wednesday. Economists surveyed by Dow Jones expect it will show the annual rate of inflation hit 4.2%, well above the 2.4% level it hit before the war and its highest point since early 2023.
The energy shock is further slowing economic growth and fuelling prices. The DIW institute has halved its growth forecast. Fiscal expansion may soften inflation but cannot fully offset it.
