Equities continue to melt upward on better than expected earnings. Tuesday?s list of reports included strong results from Clorox and Rockwell Automation which also included a favorable outlook for earnings. The takeaway for investors and non-investors alike is that much of the earnings growth expected by the S&P 500 is due to inflation. The average S&P 500 company has engaged in multiple price hikes since the start of the year and more are on the way.

The FOMC is meeting today and will release the latest policy statement this afternoon. There is a high expectation the Fed will announce the start of taper and may also indicate a faster pace of tapering than what the market is expecting. With inflation apparently running rampant it is a wonder the FOMC has not already begun to taper.