#CPIWatch 📊 #CPIWatch : December 22, 2025 📈

The latest inflation data has sent a ripple through the markets! 🌊 After a period of "data silence" due to the government shutdown, the numbers are back, and they’re cooler than a winter breeze. ❄️

📋 The Headline Numbers

Headline CPI: 📉 2.7% () — Lowest since July! (Previous: 3.0%)

Core CPI: 🎯 2.6% — Softest reading since March 2021.

Energy Prices: ⚡ +4.2% — Driven by a surge in fuel oil (+11.3%) and natural gas (+9.1%).

Food Costs: 🍎 +2.6% — Grocery bills are stabilizing, but meat & eggs remain up +4.7%.

Shelter: 🏠 3.0% — A welcome sign of deceleration for renters and buyers alike.

💡 Market Sentiment & Trends

The "Shutdown" Asterisk: ⚠️ Analysts warn that the 2.7% print might be artificially low because data collection was disrupted in October. Expect a potential "rebound" in the next report.

Fed Outlook: 🏦 The Federal Reserve is keeping a close watch. While the labor market is softening (unemployment at 4.6%), 1-year inflation expectations just jumped to 4.2% 🚨, leading some to bet on a "higher for longer" rate environment through 2026.

Consumer Impact: 🛒 Real weekly earnings rose by 0.66%, meaning paychecks are finally starting to outpace the cost of living again! 💸

📅 Save the Date

The next big reveal—the December 2025 CPI (the final look at the year)—drops on:

🗓️ Tuesday, January 13, 2026

🕗 8:30 a.m.