May 12, 2026
United States:
US Inflation Accelerates as Gas, Rent and Food Prices Climb
US inflation accelerated in April on rising gasoline and grocery costs, exceeding wage growth in a double whammy for already strained consumers.
The consumer price index rose 3.8% from a year earlier, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data out Tuesday, the most since 2023. After adjusting for inflation, wages fell for the first time in three years.
Europe:
German Investor Outlook Unexpectedly Improves on Hope Over War
German investor optimism unexpectedly improved on hope that the fighting in the Middle East will end soon, reducing the threat to Europe’s largest economy.
An expectations index by the ZEW institute rose to -10.2 in May from -17.2 in April. That’s better than the -19.5 median estimate of economists in a Bloomberg survey. A measure of current conditions deteriorated to -77.8.
Asia:
BOJ Signals Chance of Rate Hike Next Month Over Inflation Risks
The Bank of Japan signaled the possibility of a hike to its benchmark rate next month with a summary of views from last month’s board meeting that conveyed concerns over upside inflation risks stemming from the conflict in the Middle East.
“It is quite possible that the bank will raise the policy interest rate from the next monetary policy meeting onward, even if the future course of the situation in the Middle East remains unclear,” one board member said, according to a summary of opinions from the April meeting released Tuesday.
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