U.S. CPI Comes in Faster Than Hoped, Rising 0.4% in March, 3.5% Y/Y

A series of Fed members have made clear they’re not inclined to begin easing monetary policy until seeing a sustained path, i.e., more than just one monthly report, of inflation trending downward. Traders, meanwhile, have quickly whittled away their expectations of rate cuts, and prior to this morning’s report had priced in just two or three for the full year, according to the CME FedWatch Tool, with the first move coming in June or July. Following the new inflation data, the tool now shows September as the most likely time for an initial rate cut.