Developing Story on March 2026 PCE Inflation
This story about the March 2026 PCE inflation is developing and will be updated with more details as they emerge. Economic reports like this one provide critical insights into the ongoing battle against persistent price pressures.
Federal Reserve's Preferred Inflation Gauge Persists
The Federal Reserve's preferred inflation gauge remained stubbornly high in March as consumers continued to face elevated price growth across various sectors. This measure, known as the personal consumption expenditures (PCE) index, serves as a key benchmark for monetary policy decisions.
Headline PCE Index Results
The Commerce Department on Thursday reported that the PCE index rose 0.7% on a monthly basis in March and is up 3.5% from a year ago. Both figures were in-line with the expectations of economists polled by LSEG, indicating that inflation has not deviated from anticipated paths despite efforts to cool it down.
Core PCE Excluding Food and Energy
Core PCE, which strips out the volatile measurements of food and energy prices, was up 0.3% from a month ago and increased 3.2% year over year. These numbers also aligned precisely with economists' expectations from the LSEG poll, underscoring the stickiness of underlying inflationary pressures in the economy.
