The Shopper Value Index (CPI) report for October 2022 advised that inflation could possibly be cooling. This was welcome information for the inventory market, provided that the CPI has been steadily rising since December 2020. October CPI rose 0.4%, under the anticipated 0.6%, which brings the year-over-year enhance to 7.7%, slower than 8.2% from final month. The core CPI, which excludes meals and vitality prices and is a quantity the Fed pays consideration to, additionally cooled. It rose 0.3% versus the anticipated 0.5%.
The Shopper Value Index ($$CPICH) has been rising steading since December 2020. Though it has change into much less steep in the previous couple of months, it is nonetheless excessive. Chart supply: StockCharts.com. For illustrative functions solely.
After undecided midterm election outcomes, a crypto shake-up within the Binance/FTX deal, and weak earnings stories, it appeared as if the market was ready for some excellent news. When the softer inflation quantity was introduced, fairness futures soared on the information. Even battered Bitcoin ($BTCUSD) rose over 10% earlier than the open. Treasury yields and the usdollar fell sharply.
Whereas the softer inflation quantity did give the market a spike, one information level does not essentially imply the Fed will begin to pivot. The Fed must see a number of items of information earlier than making rate of interest selections. Curiously, the following CPI quantity might be launched on the primary day of the two-day Fed assembly in December.
There are nonetheless many uncertainties such because the disaster in Ukraine, vitality costs, and the U.S. political final result for the following two years. So, though the market seems to be optimistic, it is nonetheless a good suggestion to control the massive image.
Just a few key factors to control are:
- The CBOE Volatility Index($VIX). Pre-pandemic, the $VIX, on common, traded between 12 and 20. When $VIX went above 20, traders bought jittery. However because the pandemic, the $VIX traded at a better vary, between 19 and 35. After the October CPI quantity was launched, $VIX fell over 9%. Will probably be fascinating to see if $VIX will get nearer to its pre-pandemic vary.
- The ten-Yr U.S. Treasury Yield ($TNX). After the CPI launch, $TNX traded under 4%. Larger yields could possibly be a optimistic signal of the potential slowing down of rates of interest.
- The U.S. Greenback Index ($USD). The $USD fell after the softer-than-expected inflation quantity. Convey up a chart of Invesco DB US Greenback Index Bullish Fund (UUP) to see how the greenback reacted to the CPI report.
The inventory market could also be assured that the Fed goes to deliver inflation down. However issues can change, and having the $VIX, $TNX, and $USD in your radar will maintain you on prime of what is going on on within the economic system.
Pleased charting!

Jayanthi Gopalakrishnan is Director of Web site Content material at StockCharts.com. She spends her time arising with content material methods, delivering content material to teach merchants and traders, and discovering methods to make technical evaluation enjoyable. Jayanthi was Managing Editor at T3 Customized, a content material advertising company for monetary manufacturers. Earlier than that, she was Managing Editor of Shares & Commodities journal .
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