Relating commodity prices to underlying inflation: the role of expectations

Jonathan Davis

Economic Letter, 2011, vol. 6, issue dec, No 14

Abstract: Temporary supply factors may boost some commodity prices?a drought in the Midwest can jolt food costs, or a conflict in the Middle East might propel oil higher. These, in turn, can increase the overall consumer price index (CPI) and the headline inflation rate. ; Because central bank anti-inflation measures sometimes take a long time to affect prices, policymakers don?t necessarily react to short-term fluctuations in headline inflation (an overall rate that?s not seasonally adjusted). In fact, the mandate of many inflation-targeting central banks is to aim to keep headline inflation at a certain target or within a certain range ?over the medium term,? widely recognized as a few years. Thus, even a strict inflation-targeting central bank doesn?t aim to contain short-run headline inflation fluctuations.

Keywords: Banks and banking, Central; Consumer price indexes; Supply and demand (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2011
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