Central Banks
Fed Gets More Reasons to Delay Interest-Rate Cuts
- Producer prices topped forecasts; jobless claims revised lower
- Inflation, labor data likely to overshadow weaker retail sales
Fresh data on inflation and unemployment filings gave Federal Reserve officials more reasons to hold off on cutting interest rates, even as retail sales suggested a slowdown in consumer spending.
Prices paid to US producers topped forecasts in February, and fewer people applied for and received jobless benefits than previously thought, according to separate reports Thursday. That followed data earlier in the week that showed underlying consumer prices also rose at a brisk pace last month.