00:00The U.S. inflation report for March is due tomorrow morning.
00:03Here's what to look out for.
00:04This CPI report is huge.
00:06It'll be our first chance to see how much the Iran war
00:08has pushed up consumer prices across a wide range of categories.
00:12The consensus forecast is for a 3.4% increase in March from a year ago.
00:16That would be a major jump from February
00:18and the biggest year-over-year jump in two years.
00:21One of the key focuses will be on energy, which includes the price of gas.
00:25That's one area where we're already feeling the pain.
00:27We know prices at the pump are at multi-year highs.
00:29This will put some firm numbers around that.
00:31Other commodities expected to see higher prices are jet fuel, steel, aluminum,
00:36natural gas, fertilizer, and plastics.
00:38And actually, the pinch is already being felt across the industries that use these materials.
00:43That includes automobiles, airlines, and food,
00:46each of which has seen upward price pressure since the war started.
00:49From an investing perspective, the stakes are high.
00:51If inflation comes in hot, it could dent odds of rate cuts
00:54and perhaps even stir up talk of rate hikes.
00:56That wouldn't be good for stocks.
00:58For more about inflation in the U.S., check out Business Insider.
Comments