U.S. April PCE Preview: Inflation Spreading Across Multiple Sectors Pushes Up Treasuries, May 28 Data May End Rate Policy Debate
Tradingkey - The U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) will release the April PCE inflation report on May 28, Eastern Time. Since May, multiple economic indicators have confirmed that inflation remains elevated, leading the market to even begin betting that the Federal Reserve may pivot to rate hikes within the year. Consequently, U.S. Treasury yields have strengthened, with the 30-year Treasury yield surging to 5.2% on May 20, reaching its highest level since 2007. It should be noted that while the CPI is a major inflation indicator monitored by the market, the Federal Reserve pays closer attention to PCE inflation data. This has been its official inflation anchor since its formal establishment in 2012, with a long-term policy goal of stabilizing YoY PCE growth at 2%. In its actual decision-making, the Fed places particular weight on Core PCE—which excludes food and energy prices—believing it to be less volatile and a more accurate reflection of underlying inflation trends in the economy.