{"id":48930,"date":"2026-03-11T16:52:35","date_gmt":"2026-03-11T16:52:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.vtmarkets.com\/uncategorized\/us-core-seasonally-adjusted-consumer-price-index-rises-to-333-51-compared-with-the-previous-332-79-in-february\/"},"modified":"2026-03-11T16:52:35","modified_gmt":"2026-03-11T16:52:35","slug":"us-core-seasonally-adjusted-consumer-price-index-rises-to-333-51-compared-with-the-previous-332-79-in-february","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vtmarkets.com\/en-asia\/live-updates\/us-core-seasonally-adjusted-consumer-price-index-rises-to-333-51-compared-with-the-previous-332-79-in-february\/","title":{"rendered":"US core seasonally adjusted Consumer Price Index rises to 333.51, compared with the previous 332.79 in February"},"content":{"rendered":"The United States core Consumer Price Index, seasonally adjusted, rose to 333.51 in February. This was up from 332.79 in the previous month.\n\nThe increase was 0.72 index points month on month. The data refers to the core CPI measure that excludes food and energy prices.\n\n

Implications For Federal Reserve Policy<\/h3>\nThe February Core CPI data shows inflation is not cooling as fast as we had hoped. This upward surprise means the Federal Reserve will likely keep interest rates higher for longer. We must now rethink the timing of any potential rate cuts that were anticipated for the middle of this year.\n\nThis data, combined with last week’s unexpectedly strong jobs report showing solid wage growth, paints a picture of a resilient economy. Fed funds futures markets are already adjusting, with the probability of a rate cut before July dropping significantly in overnight trading. This situation is reminiscent of the stubborn inflation we saw for much of 2025, which consistently delayed the Fed’s pivot.\n\nFor equity markets, this implies pressure on interest-rate sensitive sectors like technology and non-profitable growth companies. We should consider buying protective put options on indices like the Nasdaq 100 or selling out-of-the-money call spreads, betting that the market’s upward momentum will be capped. This strategy is designed to hedge against a market that can no longer count on imminent rate relief.\n\nIncreased uncertainty about the Fed’s path will lead to higher market volatility. The VIX index, which measures expected volatility, has already jumped over 10% on this news. Traders should look at purchasing VIX calls or implementing option strategies like straddles to profit from the expected increase in price swings over the coming weeks.\n\n

Positioning In Rates And Currency Markets<\/h3>\nIn the rates market, it is now prudent to position for a hawkish Fed. This involves taking positions in SOFR futures that would benefit from rates remaining elevated through the end of the year. Consequently, the US dollar should strengthen, making call options on the dollar index an attractive trade against currencies whose central banks are closer to cutting rates.\n\nCreate your live VT Markets account<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0start trading<\/a>\u00a0now. <\/b>\n

\n\n

Start trading now – Click here<\/a> to create your real VT Markets account <\/strong> <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

U.S. core CPI, excluding food and energy, rose to 333.51 in February from 332.79 in January.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":103,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[59],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-48930","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-live-updates"],"acf":{"acf_article_selection_author":null},"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n\t\t