Economy
Related: About this forumMay CPI preview: Inflation likely remained red-hot as gas prices surged
May CPI preview: Inflation likely remained red-hot as gas prices surged
Alexandra Semenova · Reporter
Thu, June 9, 2022, 5:28 PM · 3 min read
U.S. consumer prices likely rose at the fastest rate in nearly 40 years in May, data is expected to show Friday. ... The Bureau of Labor Statistics' May Consumer Price Index (CPI) is expected to reflect a year-over-year increase of 8.3% last month, unchanged from Aprils print {sic}, according to consensus estimates compiled by Bloomberg. On a monthly basis, economists forecast the broadest measure of inflation rose at an accelerated pace of 0.7%, compared to 0.3% in April.
Ahead of Fridays report, experts predict a surge in gasoline prices will prove a driver of inflation for May after a recent rise back to all-time highs. In April, a moderation in the price of energy offered a temporary relief to inflation after Russias invasion of Ukraine rocked global commodities markets in March.
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Core CPI which excludes the highly volatile food and energy sectors and is closely watched by policymakers may be a bit of a bright spot in Fridays report. ... Economists expect core inflation rose 5.9% year-over-year and 0.5% month-on-month, per Bloomberg data. These figures would mark a slight cooldown from increases of 6.5% and 0.6%, respectively, in April.
Beyond serving as a gauge of the costs everyday Americans shell out for groceries, gas, housing and other goods and services, Mays consumer price index comes just before the Federal Reserve is poised to further ramp up interest rates at its policy-setting meeting next week. ... Investors anticipate the Fed will raise its benchmark interest rate by 50 basis points, or 0.50%, on June 15; an increase of the same magnitude is expected in July. Persistent inflation readings may set the table for an increase of this magnitude in the fall as well.
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Markets are on edge waiting for Friday's inflation figures. Investors don't want to get caught out by a surprise, so trading before the data release has been light, with U.S. stock futures, benchmark bond yields and the dollar little changed early Friday.
Economists surveyed by The Wall Street Journal expect the consumer-price index rose 8.3% in May from the same month a year ago and near a four-decade high.
Traders and strategists say the inflation data could heavily influence the next stretch of trading for markets and help shape the Federal Reserves interest-rate decisions for later this year.
The Labor Department is set to release inflation figures at at 8:30 a.m. ET.
Botany
(72,609 posts)BP annual/quarterly gross profit history and growth rate from 2010 to 2022. Gross profit can be defined as the profit a company makes after deducting the variable costs directly associated with making and selling its products or providing its services.
BP gross profit for the quarter ending March 31, 2022 was $15.932B, a 16.08% increase year-over-year.
BP gross profit for the twelve months ending March 31, 2022 was $46.328B, a 23.3% increase year-over-year.
BP annual gross profit for 2021 was $44.121B, a 56.42% increase from 2020.
BP annual gross profit for 2020 was $28.207B, a 43.11% decline from 2019.
BP annual gross profit for 2019 was $49.582B, a 0.53% increase from 2018.
https://www.macrotrends.net/stocks/charts/BP/bp/gross-profit#:~:text=1%20BP%20gross%20profit%20for%20the%20quarter%20ending,a%2056.42%25%20increase%20from%202020.%20More%20items...%20
Shell reports a record $9.1 billion profit.
Shell, Europes largest energy company, reported on Thursday its biggest-ever quarterly profit, reflecting high prices for oil and natural gas spurred by the war in Ukraine and tightness in world energy markets.
The companys adjusted earnings of $9.1 billion for the January-to-March period were almost triple the $3.2 billion it earned a year earlier.
Shell also said it would increase the pace of share buybacks in the second quarter, to $4.5 billion from $4 billion in the first quarter, and raise the dividend by 4 percent, to 25 cents per share.
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/05/business/shell-earnings-record-profit.html
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Politics
House passes bill to crack down on alleged gas price gouging
By Ellis Kim
May 19, 2022 / 6:35 PM / CBS News
The House of Representatives passed a bill along party lines Thursday that seeks to lower gas prices by cracking down on alleged price gouging by energy companies.
The House vote was 217-207: no Republican supported the bill, suggesting it's likely headed for failure in the Senate.
The Consumer Fuel Price Gouging Prevention Act would grant the president authority to issue emergency energy proclamations and make it illegal to increase gas and energy prices in excessive and exploitative ways. It would also expand the Federal Trade Commission's power to investigate and address possible price gouging by oil and gas companies.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/house-gas-price-gouging-bill/
MichMan
(13,432 posts)Last edited Fri Jun 10, 2022, 08:22 AM - Edit history (2)
The House must know.
We should be able to show people that gas prices would drop $1 a gallon immediately if the Republicans weren't obstructionists.(or whatever amount it is)
multigraincracker
(34,213 posts)away from everyone walking.