Published:
U.S. stocks have clawed their way back to the doorstep of record territory after
a volatile month on Wall Street, but persistent inflation worries and souring consumer sentiment are keeping investors uneasy ahead of the Federal Reserve’s last policy meeting of the year.
That’s why Friday’s release of the September report for the Fed’s preferred inflation gauge — the personal consumption expenditures price index — comes at a crucial time for investors. The hope is that the new PCE report, while delayed, will provide a hard-data reality check that will either confirm the downbeat economic mood or prove, once again, that the vibes are all wrong.