CPI Report: Inflation Unexpectedly Cools to 2.5% in August
A fresh readout on consumer prices will be one of the last big data releases before next week's Federal Reserve meeting, at which policy makers are likely to make the first in a series of rate cuts.
A weaker-than-expected reading would bolster the case for the Fed to move faster in easing policy, while a stronger report would encourage a more measured approach to cuts.
Here are the key points to know about August's consumer price index, due at 8:30 a.m. ET Tuesday:
CPI is expected to rise 0.2% from July, according to a Wall Street Journal survey of economists.
Core CPI, which strips out volatile food and energy, is seen advancing at the same monthly rate.
Both measures of inflation also rose 0.2% last month.
Year-over-year CPI is seen at 2.6%, down from 2.9% as of July. Annual core CPI is seen holding steady at 3.2%.
The producer-price index is set for release 24 hours later.