Core Inflation

Summary Month-over-month core PCE came in at +25bps (vs 28bps nowcast) while the year-over-year core PCE reading came in at 3.01% (vs 3.14% nowcast). While headlines noted that today's reading were a downside miss, the month-over-month core PCE reading was

In 2026, the Fed moved from an easing bias to a hold to a hike, catching up to the data with a lag at every stage. We look back at how (1) a bottoms-up read of inflation, (2) a careful reading of the labor market, and (3) close tracking of the full FOMC put us ahead of the hawkish turn.

Summary Core PCE came in at +25bps for the month-over-month July reading, a highly uncharacteristic 9 basis point miss. Our miss primarily stemmed from healthcare, airfares, and tax preparation services. We will be implementing improved nowcasting techniques next month and look forward to being back on track. A

We see a sizable "inverted" CPI-PCE wedge for July 2026.