US inflation eases in June, but Middle East conflict clouds outlook
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US inflation slowed in June, data showed, providing temporary relief to consumers. However, the escalating conflict in the Middle East is likely to reverse those gains as energy and shipping costs rise, economists warned.
The June Slowdown
The US Labor Department reported that the Consumer Price Index rose at a decelerating pace in June, marking the third consecutive month of easing price pressures. Core inflation, which strips out volatile food and energy costs, also recorded a smaller-than-expected increase. The data eased fears of a re-acceleration in price growth that had fueled expectations of further Federal Reserve rate hikes.
Middle East Spillover
Energy markets reacted sharply to the intensifying conflict, with crude oil prices surging past $85 a barrel for the first time in months. Shipping disruptions in the Red Sea have pushed up freight costs, threatening to feed through to consumer prices. Analysts at Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan project that sustained oil price gains could add up to 0.5 percentage points to headline inflation by September.
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