The video below is part of a biweekly Auto Market Report series focusing on data and insights that provide a holistic view of the auto industry. Chief Economist Jonathan Smoke leads our effort to translate data and trends into actionable insights. Download this week’s presentation

Highlights: Headline Inflation Hits Highest Level Since September Headline inflation continues to run hotter than expected. In March, inflation grew at the same pace as February, according to the Consumer Price Index (CPI). The headline aggregate measure increased 0.4% on a seasonally adjusted basis and marked three months of higher-than-expected increases. The core CPI, which … Continued

Job growth in March accelerated and was stronger than expected. The three-month average for job creation is at the highest level in 11 months, while the unemployment rate declined. Wage growth accelerated modestly in March. The labor market remains strong. New-vehicle sales slowed in March despite growth in discounting and incentives. Used-vehicle sales improved in … Continued

The video below is part of a biweekly Auto Market Report series focusing on data and insights that provide a holistic view of the auto industry. Chief Economist Jonathan Smoke leads our effort to translate data and trends into actionable insights. Download this week’s presentation

The fourth-quarter real GDP was revised upwards to a 3.4% annualized gain, an increase from the 3.2% second estimate. Personal consumption was revised up to 3.3% from 3.0%. In February, income growth decelerated to a 0.3% gain, a decrease from 1.0% in January, which was driven by large increases in Social Security and Medicare payments. … Continued

New construction rebounded in February following weather disruptions in January. Existing home sales also jumped in February but remain down from a year ago. Existing home supply remains very tight but is up slightly from last year. Jobless claims remain limited and reflect no significant stress on the labor market. The Federal Reserve left interest … Continued

The Fed left interest rates and overall monetary policy unchanged today. We have now had five straight meetings with no change in rate policy. The Fed is effectively on cruise control, leaving rate policy restrictive and continuing to sell off assets on the balance sheet until “…inflation is moving sustainably toward 2 percent.” Their rate … Continued

The video below is part of a biweekly Auto Market Report series focusing on data and insights that provide a holistic view of the auto industry. Chief Economist Jonathan Smoke leads our effort to translate data and trends into actionable insights. Download this week’s presentation

Headline inflation accelerated further in February, according to the Consumer Price Index (CPI). The headline aggregate measure increased on a seasonally adjusted basis and marked two months in a row of acceleration, the highest monthly increase since August. However, on a year-to-year basis, core CPI declined to the lowest since April 2021. The overall CPI … Continued