The Consumer Price Index (CPI) is the inflation gauge. Inflation is the rate at which prices are rising and in turn eroding your buying power. It's released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) on a monthly basis. It measures the average rate of change in prices paid by consumers for a basket of products and services compared to the year ago period. The core CPI report doesn't include food and energy, that's separate. The report contains pricing data by industries and locations to derive a general overall CPI figure. The report is released monthly for the prior month's data (IE: August CPI data is reported in September). The CPI reached a 40-year high of 9.1% in June 2022 indicating the possible peak of inflation. Incidentally, the S&P 500 index (NYSE:SPY) hit a low of $362.17 the same month. Coincidence? Maybe Not.
