by William J. Luther
The Daily Economy
Inflation picked up in October, but remains more or less on track. The Personal Consumption Expenditures Price Index (PCEPI), which is the Federal Reserve’s preferred measure of inflation, grew at a continuously compounding annual rate of 2.9 percent in October 2024. It has grown at an annualized rate of 2.1 percent over the last three months and 2.3 percent over the last year.
Core PCEPI inflation, which excludes volatile food and energy prices but puts more weight on lagging housing services prices, was 3.3 percent in October 2024. It averaged 2.8 percent over the last three months and 2.8 percent over the last year.
Pandemics, Hurricanes, Strikes, and Supply Shocks
Why did inflation pick up in October? Adverse supply conditions are at least partly to blame. Hurricane Helene ripped through north Florida, Georgia, the Carolinas, and Tennessee in late-September, leaving those in its wake to deal with debris and high water in the weeks that followed.