U.S. inflation data for July came in mixed, with headline numbers better than forecast, but the core rate rising faster than expected.
The July U.S. Consumer Price Index rose 0.2%, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Economist forecasts had been for 0.2% and June’s pace was 0.3%.
On a year-over-year basis, CPI was higher by 2.7% against 2.8% expected and 2.7% previously.
Core CPI, which excludes food and energy, rose 0.3% from the prior month, compared with forecasts for 0.3% and June’s 0.2% gain. On a yearly basis, core CPI increased 3.1%, versus expectations of 3% and June’s 2.9%.
The data likely isn’t far enough off from forecasts to lower expectations for a potential Federal Reserve interest rate cut as soon as September, with market-implied odds at 84% before the release, according to CME FedWatch. Fifteen minutes following the mixed numbers, those odds had risen to 90%.
Ahead of the report, bitcoin (BTC) was trading near $118,500, as traders hedged downside risks with short-dated put options. In the minutes after the release, BTC rose very modestly to just under $119,000.
A check of traditional markets finds U.S. stock index futures on the rise following the CPI, with the Nasdaq 100 and S&P 500 each ahead about 0.6%. The dollar has softened a bit and the 10-year U.S. Treasury yield dipped three basis points to 4.26%.
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