Inflation Insight
The recently released minutes from the Federal Reserve’s (Fed) September policy meeting, along with the Consumer Price Index (CPI) and Producer Price Index (PPI) data, have kept the markets focused on inflation. Inflation is half of the Fed’s “dual mandate” to maximize sustainable employment and keep inflation low and stable. These two mandates often conflict and usually require a balancing act. Getting to maximum employment usually implies that the Fed should be more accommodative; keeping a lid on inflation implies that it should be more restrictive.
