Latest Deflation Stories

U.S. markets edged up Wednesday after the Department of Labor said consumer prices fell 1.3 percent in April compared to a year ago. The drop in prices is the largest in a 12-month span since 1950. Prices, however, rose 0.1 percent in May, indicating deflation is not in the mix at present. Bank shares fared poorly. Bank of America dropped 1.49 percent, while Citigroup fell 2.15 percent. Wells Fargo & Co. shares dropped 3.98 percent. Ford Motor Co. also slid, dropping 0.53 percent. In...

The Consumer Price Index rose 0.1 percent in May keeping fears of deflation at bay for another month, the U.S. Department of Labor said Tuesday. Core prices, which exclude food and energy costs, also rose 0.1 percent, in line with expectations. Economists had expected a sharper rise in the energy and food inclusive CPI index, predicting a gain of 0.3 percent. But the standout figure is the 1.3 percent drop in prices over the past 12 months, the largest annual drop since 1950, the...

U.S. markets traded mostly flat Wednesday after the Department of Labor said consumer prices fell 1.3 percent in April compared to a year ago. The drop in prices is the largest in a 12-month span since 1950, nearly 60 years ago. Prices, however, rose 0.1 percent in May, indicating deflation is not in the mix at present. In midmorning trading, the Dow Jones industrial average gained 13.30 points, or 0.16 percent, to 8,517.97. The Standard & Poor's 500 lost 0.2 percent, 1.82 points, to...

Consumer prices in Britain dropped in May, but far less than economists predicted, the Office for National Statistics said Tuesday. The headline Consumer Price Index fell to 2.2 percent, but economists had expected prices to fall below the Bank of England's target of 2 percent to 1.9 percent. It was the 20th consecutive month inflation held above the central bank's target rate, The Times of London reported. The Retail Price Index, which includes housing costs, rose slightly, from minus 1.2...

- Company remains solidly profitable in face of global economic slowdown. - U.S. market for agricultural equipment continues on strong pace. - Focus on rigorous asset management yields positive results. - Strong liquidity position and access to capital markets maintained. MOLINE, Ill., May 20 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Deere & Company today announced worldwide net income of $472.3 million, or $1.11 per share, for the second quarter ended April 30, compared with $763.5 million, or...

The Consumer Price Index dropped further from April 2008 to April 2009 than in any 12-month period since 1955, the U.S. Labor Department said Friday. Prices dropped 0.7 percent during the period but were unchanged compared to March, suggesting the a period of deflation was unlikely. The price index was heavily influenced by food and energy price fluctuations while core prices remained relatively stable. Compared to a year ago, energy prices have dropped 25.2 percent, the report said. Indexes...

CHICAGO, May 8 /PRNewswire/ -- "Reality is hard to swallow, particularly when it is being played out on as large a stage as the U.S. economy. We have collectively come to realize that the gifts under our metaphorical Christmas tree come with a price tag - and interest, if those costs are deferred. The economy that emerges from recession will be an economy that is characterized more by its austerity than by its excesses," says Diane Swonk, chief economist of Mesirow Financial, in her May...

European Commission analysts said the economy in the 16-member Eurozone would contract by 4 percent in 2009, twice as fast as previously thought. Joaquin Almunia, commissioner for economic and monetary affairs, said the European economy was in the midst of its deepest and most widespread recession in the post-war era, the Telegraph reported Monday. The EC analysts previously said the economy would shrink 1.9 percent this year. The current prediction includes unemployment reaching 11.5...

Japanese consumer prices fell in March for the first time in 18 months, fueling concern that deflation could exacerbate the recession, economists said. Nationwide core consumer prices fell 0.1 percent in a year-over-year comparison for March, reflecting drops in oil prices and demand, the Financial Times reported Friday. The threat of a more damaging deflationary spiral is "¦ real, Julian Jessop, Capital Economics' chief international economist, said. Labor markets are deteriorating very...

The U.S. gross domestic product fell sharply in the first quarter, the Department of Commerce said Wednesday. GDP figures -- subject to revision later -- came in with a 6.1 percent drop following a 6.3 percent decline in the fourth quarter last year. The figure includes negative input from exports, private inventory investment, equipment and software and commercial structures. Gains were reported in consumer spending and imports, which later fell. Declines in automobile production pulled the...