Thursday, November 15, 2007

5 Views of Inflation v.2

The CPI was released today. Here's an update.



Not much to see in the three month chart. It's been relatively tame lately. I doubt the rising price of oil and falling dollar will be kind to it in the near-term. Who knows though? Christmas might be looking a bit ugly.



Not much to see in the six month chart. Inflation is running a bit warm but might have some favorable comparisons soon.



The one year chart is now lined up perfectly with last year's commodity selloff. We apparently didn't get one this year. Trend line, you lose! Oh well! You can't trust them anyway. They are just lines after all.



The two year chart is now lined up perfectly with Katrina's aftermath two years prior. Trend line, I therefore suspect you might be losing too soon. (Note to self: stop talking to the trend lines.)



Okay, now this is the one that concerns me. Inflation trends and the expectations that go with them (once established), are a "bear" to break. All the rest is just fluff to me.

See Also:
5 Views of Inflation
Trend Line Disclaimer

Source Data:
Consumer Price Indexes (CPI)

4 comments:

Rob Dawg said...

Staggy,
What about M3? For a long time we could print those greenish paper thingies and whole boatloads would trundle off on over to smelly backwater economies where they didn't do us any harm and the Feds could keep on writing IOUs. Now not only are those backwaters trying to turn those pieces of paper in for "stuff" but the printing presses are just stuffing the vaults of the banks with more of the same.

For your consideration: M3 minus outflows minus increases in GDP equals inflation.

Stagflationary Mark said...

Rob Dawg,

If the government prints me a trillion dollars I'd promise to only use what I need each day and hoard the rest. It wouldn't be all that inflationary. I promise!

I've offered this in the past but so far I've had no takers, lol. I therefore improve my offer!

If the government offers me $100 trillion I'd even promise to bury $99 trillion in a secret locked box and throw away the key!

(Perhaps this is why I still embrace the look of that 5 year chart.)

Anonymous said...

Does it look like Batman giving us the finger in the 2 year chart or is that just me?

Kevin

Stagflationary Mark said...

Kevin,

I'm givin' away free money, and where is the Batman? He's at home washing his tights! - The Joker, Batman, 1989