With the core PCE price index holding at 130.7 in July and unemployment flat at 4.1 percent, the US economy is stuck in a sticky middle ground. Lucas and Luna dissect why service inflation refuses to cool despite slowing real GDP growth of just 1.5 percent annualized. They explore how wage pressures and housing costs are keeping prices elevated, defying the Fed’s soft-landing hopes. The episode breaks down the disconnect between headline CPI and what consumers actually feel at the grocery store and gas pump, revealing why central bankers remain cautious about cutting rates this September.

#CoreInflation #PCEIndex #RealGDP #UnemploymentRate #FederalReserve #ServiceSector #WageGrowth #HousingCosts #MacroEconomics #InterestRates #ConsumerPrices #LaborMarket #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #EconomicData #InflationTrap #LucasAndLuna #September2026

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With the ten-year breakeven inflation rate dipping to 2.33 percent on September 16th, 2026, markets are pricing in a return to normalcy. But Lucas and Luna argue that the real story lies in the stubbornness of core CPI, which held at 337.8 in August, and the disconnect between slowing headline energy costs and persistent service-sector inflation. This episode examines why the Federal Reserve’s preferred gauge, the core PCE price index, remains elevated at 130.7 despite cooling goods prices. We look at how transport companies are sounding alarms over fuel costs and what the UK’s recent jump to 3.1 percent inflation tells us about global spillovers. The hosts explore whether this data suggests a soft landing or a sticky-price trap for consumers facing a one-two punch of oil shocks and interest rates.

#FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #Macroeconomics #InflationData #CoreCPI #PCEPriceIndex #FederalReserve #InterestRates #EconomicIndicators #ConsumerSpending #EnergyPrices #TransportSector #GlobalInflation #UKInflation #MonetaryPolicy #EconomicAnalysis #FinanceNews #EconomicGrowth

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Lucas and Luna dissect the conflicting signals in late August macro data. With real GDP growth slowing to 1.5 percent while job openings rise to 7,271, they explore why the labor market remains resilient despite weaker industrial production. The conversation focuses on how capacity utilization at 76.3 percent and sticky core CPI readings suggest a complex economic landscape where traditional indicators are sending mixed messages for investors navigating September.

#FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #Economics #RealGDP #NonfarmPayrolls #CoreCPI #JobOpenings #JOLTS #CapacityUtilization #IndustrialProduction #MacroData #LaborMarket #InflationTrends #EconomicIndicators #FedPolicy #September2026 #GrowthSlowdown #WagePressure

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Lucas and Luna dissect why the Purchasing Managers Index, while widely watched, often fails to capture the real pace of industrial activity. With manufacturing data showing a divergence from broader economic growth in September 2026, they explore how capacity utilization and inventory levels tell a more accurate story than headline PMI numbers. The episode focuses on a specific case where strong services demand masked weak factory output, leaving investors exposed to a sudden shift in sentiment.

#FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #Economics #PMI #ManufacturingData #IndustrialProduction #CapacityUtilization #Inventories #ServicesVsGoods #MacroEconomics #InvestorStrategy #GDPAnalysis #SupplyChain #FederalReserve #MarketSignals #LucasAndLuna #EconomicIndicators #RecessionRisk

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With August CPI holding at 334.1 and core CPI rising to 337.8 while average hourly earnings only climbed to 37.80, the purchasing power gap is widening. Lucas and Luna break down how this specific divergence between inflation and wage growth is reshaping consumer behavior, squeezing household budgets, and forcing the Federal Reserve to weigh real economic pain against headline price stability in September 2026.

#FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #Economics #InflationData #WageGrowth #CPIReport #ConsumerPurchasingPower #FederalReservePolicy #RealWages #August2026Economy #CoreCPI #AverageHourlyEarnings #HouseholdBudgets #MacroIndicators #GDPvsInflation #LaborMarketTightness #JOLTSData #EconomicStagflation

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We drill into the divergence between nominal and real GDP to explain why the economy feels like a riddle right now. With August CPI data showing inflation persisting despite slower growth, we look at the ten-year Treasury yield hitting nearly five percent and what it means for your portfolio. This episode cuts through the noise of mixed signals by focusing on one concrete metric: the gap between price increases and actual output.

#EconomicsPodcast #RealGDP #NominalGDP #InflationData #FederalReserve #InterestRates #TreasuryYields #CPIReport #Macroeconomics #InvestingStrategy #BusinessNews #FinancialLiteracy #EconomicIndicators #MarketAnalysis #LucasAndLuna #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #EconomicGrowth

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With August CPI holding at 334.1 and real GDP growth slowing to 1.5 percent, the U.S. economy is signaling a dangerous divergence between headline inflation and underlying wage stagnation. Lucas and Luna break down why the latest data suggests that consumer purchasing power is being squeezed from both sides, creating a quiet trap for households even as job openings rise. We examine how this specific combination of sticky prices and decelerating growth changes the Federal Reserve's calculus ahead of September.

#Economics #InflationData #GDPGrowth #CPIReport #FederalReserve #WageStagnation #ConsumerSpending #MacroEconomics #InterestRates #PurchasingPower #BusinessPodcast #FinanceNews #FexingoBusiness #LucasAndLuna #EconomicIndicators #MarketAnalysis #USconomy #InvestorInsights

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With August CPI ticking up to an index level of 334.1 and core inflation holding firm, the Federal Reserve faces a painful dilemma in September 2026. Lucas and Luna examine why nominal GDP growth has slowed to just one point five percent while price pressures persist. We break down the specific data points suggesting a rate hike is on the table next week, despite a cooling labor market and weak industrial production. This episode explores the mechanics of policy misalignment and what it means for your portfolio when growth and inflation move in opposite directions.

#FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #Economics #FederalReserve #InterestRates #CPIInflation #GDPGrowth #MonetaryPolicy #September2026 #MarketAnalysis #InvestingStrategy #MacroData #CorePCE #StagflationRisk #FedHike #ConsumerPrices #LaborMarket #EconomicIndicators

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With the S&P 500 down two percent and ten-year yields climbing near five percent, investors are confused by mixed signals. We drill into August's nonfarm payrolls and core CPI to reveal a hidden divergence: while headline inflation feels sticky at 3.3 percent on core metrics, the labor market is quietly cooling without crashing. This episode explains how capacity utilization hitting 76.3 percent and job openings rising to 7.2 million create a 'quiet trap' for policymakers, forcing the Fed to weigh rate hikes against a slowing growth trajectory of just 1.5 percent annualized real GDP.

#FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #EconomicIndicators #MacroEconomics #InflationData #LaborMarket #FederalReserve #GDPGrowth #CPIReport #NonFarmPayrolls #InterestRates #CapacityUtilization #JOLTSReport #CorePCE #TreasuryYields #ConsumerSpending #MonetaryPolicy #EconomicForecast

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Lucas and Luna dissect the divergence between sticky inflation and softening growth. With Real GDP growth slowing to 1.5 percent while Core PCE remains elevated at 3.3 percent, they explore why the Federal Reserve faces a harder path than markets expect. The episode examines how capacity utilization at 76.3 percent and rising business inventories signal a manufacturing slowdown that GDP alone misses, urging listeners to look beyond headline numbers.

#Economics #GDP #Inflation #FederalReserve #CorePCE #Macroeconomics #InterestRates #BusinessPodcast #FexingoBusiness #LucasAndLuna #EconomicData #MonetaryPolicy #Stagflation #Manufacturing #CapacityUtilization #BusinessCycle #Investing #FinancialLiteracy

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