The Market News Today: Economists Anticipate Slight Uptick in Core Inflation

Can Persistent Core Inflation Prompt the Fed to Rethink Interest Rate Reductions?

February’s CPI data, influenced by rising gasoline prices, suggests inflation is stabilizing rather than declining, potentially impacting the Fed’s approach to interest rate reductions. Economists predict a 0.4% monthly increase in overall prices, slightly above January’s 0.3%. Core inflation, excluding food and energy, is also expected to rise by 0.3%. Year-over-year, headline and core inflation are anticipated to show 3.1% and 3.7% gains, respectively. Persistent inflation could lead the Fed to delay rate cuts, as markets await the Labor Department’s CPI report. (CNBC)

Are Rising Gas Prices a Temporary Trend or a Threat to Fed’s Rate Cut Plans?

U.S. gas prices, hitting a four-month high at $3.40 per gallon, pose potential challenges to inflation progress and the Fed’s rate cut plans. Despite refinery issues boosting prices lately, analysts suggest this rise is in line with historical trends for this time of year. Refinery utilization rates are recovering, and oil prices remain stable, indicating prices might not surge significantly. Experts predict the national average could stay between $3.50 and $3.75 a gallon this summer, barring any major disruptions. (CNN)

Will Oracle’s Cloud Business Boost and Strong Bookings Fuel Its Market Competitiveness?”

Oracle Corp.’s stock surged 13% following a robust performance in its cloud computing sector, with bookings far exceeding expectations. The company reported an $80 billion sales backlog, topping analysts’ $59 billion forecast. This growth, primarily from significant cloud infrastructure contracts, marks a pivotal stride in Oracle’s competition with tech giants like Amazon and Microsoft. Despite previous slow growth, Oracle’s cloud revenue jumped 25% to $5.1 billion, indicating renewed momentum in this fiercely competitive market. (Bloomberg)

Is Boeing’s Quality Control Under Scrutiny After FAA Audit Reveals Lapses?

An FAA audit revealed concerning practices at Boeing and its supplier, Spirit AeroSystems, including mechanics using Dawn soap as a lubricant and cleaning with cheesecloth. The report, based on FAA slides, highlights Boeing’s failure in 33 of 89 product audits for the 737 Max and Spirit’s failure in 7 of 13 audits. This scrutiny follows an incident with an Alaska Airlines 737 Max and underscores ongoing quality assurance issues at Boeing, now pressured to enhance safety and quality standards. (CNBC)

Is Bitcoin Set for Long-Term Growth? Top Trader Urges Change in Perspective

A prominent trader, who accurately predicted the 2021 Bitcoin downturn, advises a shift in how we view Bitcoin. He suggests focusing on a longer timeframe, highlighting factors like the successful BTC ETF and continuous central bank money printing. His advice: stop trying to predict market tops and consider Bitcoin’s potential over the next decade. Additionally, he notes a bullish trend in the altcoin market, signaling potential rallies as key resistance levels are breached. (The Daily Hodl)