Economic Indicators

How to read economic indicators starts with one number: US inflation ran 3.74% in September 2026. That Bureau of Labor Statistics figure sits just under the Federal Reserve’s effective rate of 3.88% (New York Fed, Nov. 6), so cash is barely outrunning prices. That’s also why every new data point can swing markets, as the S&P 500’s 2.35% jump on Nov. 9 showed (Yahoo Finance).