(Bloomberg) — Inflation remains elevated in the US and euro-zone, supporting assertions from central bankers in both regions that it’s too soon to start cutting interest rates.
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The Federal Reserve’s preferred gauge of underlying inflation rose in January by the most in a year, while price pressures in the euro-area eased less than anticipated in February.
Elsewhere, China’s factory activity shrank for the fifth straight month in February, suggesting weak demand remains an obstacle for the world’s second-largest economy.
Here are some of the charts that appeared on Bloomberg this week on the latest developments in the global economy, geopolitics and markets:
US
The so-called core personal consumption expenditures price index, which strips out the volatile food and energy components, increased 0.4% from December, the most in a year. Inflation-adjusted consumer spending dropped for the first time in five months after a robust holiday shopping season.
Consumer sentiment faltered in late February as current views of the economy and the outlook deteriorated, marking a reversal from earlier in the month that showed a pickup in optimism. The intramonth drop was the biggest since March 2020.
Europe
Euro-zone inflation eased in February by less than anticipated, supporting European Central Bank officials who don’t want to rush into lowering interest rates. While policymakers are optimistic that inflation is headed toward their 2% goal, they remain…
