Concerns about inflation are rising. Consumer prices increased 4.2% in April, which marked the largest year-over-year increase since September 2008 (5.0%). The rise in consumer inflation is being driven by higher energy prices, which jumped 25% compared to a year ago. Producer price inflation also came in higher than expected for the month. The April PPI was up 6.2%, which was the largest year-over-year increase since the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics began tracking this measure in 2010. During each corporate earnings season, companies often comment on topics that had an impact on their earnings and revenues for a ... (full story)