The US Federal Reserve’s preferred measure of inflation was unmoved in January despite predictions of a decrease, and the news could further stoke fears of additional consumer price growth and the possibility of more hawkish monetary policy as bond yields move higher.

The January rate of annual core PCE inflation matched the December reading of 1.5% to exceed economists’ projections of a decline to 1.4%, the US Commerce Department said Friday. The US Labor Department reported earlier this month that its core inflation rate fell to 1.4% in January from 1.6% in December.

The monthly core PCE rate in January was unchanged at 0.3% versus the market estimate of 0.2% in the final month of 2020.

The greenback was little changed against the euro on the news, and the US benchmark bond moved sideways. (LiveSquawk – Continue Reading)

The Biden administration plans to allow a sweeping Trump-era rule aimed at combating Chinese technology threats to take effect next month, over objections from U.S. businesses, according to people familiar with the matter.

The rule, initially proposed in November, enables the Commerce Department to ban technology-related business transactions that it determines pose a national-security threat, part of an effort to secure U.S. supply chains. Companies in technology, telecommunications, finance and other industries say the rule could stifle innovation and hurt competitiveness, and had expected it to be delayed as the administration undertakes a broad review of U.S. policy on Chinese technology. (WSJ – Continue Reading)