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Two more factors have popped up that add to the Fed’s inflation worries
Trends in home prices and consumer expectations that were part of data releases Tuesday pointed to more inflationary issues on the horizon for the U.S. economy. The S&P/Case-Shiller index, which measures home prices across 20 major U.S. cities, rose 1.77% in June, bringing the year-over-year gain to a staggering 19.1%, the largest in the series history going back to 1987. For perspective, the biggest annual gain in prices prior to the subprime meltdown and 2008 financial crisis was the 14.4% increase in September 2005. At the same time, the Conference Board reported that consumer inflation expectations ticked ... (full story)