Some people use data to drive their perspective. Others don't. And some say what is politically advantageous...

Janet Yellen Just Made a Big Gaffe By Vic Lederman, editorial director, Chaikin Analytics Some people use data to drive their perspective. Others don't. And some say what is politically advantageous... Now, you may have heard that Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen recently made a gaffe during an interview earlier this week. And by my measures, it's a pretty big one. You see, the interviewer was asking about inflation and high prices. She also asked if Yellen had felt "sticker shock" at the grocery store. Before the interviewer could finish the question, Yellen interrupted with a flat "no." And as she expanded...   I think largely it reflects cost increases, including labor cost increases that grocery firms have experienced, although there may be some increases in margins. Folks, this is downright silly. And just about everyone knows it. I know I've had sticker shock at my local grocery store... and I'm sure you have, too. So today, let's look at what the data actually says. And we'll connect that to our investing perspective... Recommended Links: Urgent Warning About the Magnificent Seven Wall Street veteran Marc Chaikin predicted this bull market... last year's bank collapses... even the rise of Nvidia, as early as 2014. Now, he's sounding the alarm on what's coming next for the stock market and warns: "Folks getting distracted by the Magnificent Seven right now, especially Nvidia, risk getting sideswiped by what's coming next. Will You Be a HAVE or HAVE NOT? Beware of "May Day" This is a crucial question for your financial future, and you may have only months to decide. New research shows we're headed for a major turning point for the U.S. economy that could rewrite millions of Americans' financial futures, potentially widening the wealth gap and trapping you on the wrong side of that divide. A former Goldman Sachs banker explains the full story and shares his financial game plan for FREE, right here. Now, there's no question that Yellen should know better. After all, her resume is about as impressive as it gets. In the 1990s, she served on President Bill Clinton's Council of Economic Advisers. Then she went on to become the president of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco. After that, Yellen served as vice chair of the Federal Reserve. And she held the top job of Fed chair from 2014 to 2018. So there's no question that she should know inflation at the grocery store has still been running hot. After all, that's exactly what the data shows... The chart below shows the producer price index ("PPI") – specifically for supermarkets and grocery stores. And there's no question that inflation in this area is soaring... From 2023 to 2024, inflation in this corner of the market has climbed more than 6%. I would be shocked if Yellen wasn't aware of this. In fact, we're in one of the most inflationary periods in more than 40 years! From 2000 to 2020, annual inflation averaged just 2.1%. And inflation today has remained stubborn enough that we've even heard some Fed rumblings about the possibility of another rate hike. As Fed Governor Michelle Bowman said in a speech earlier this week...   We are still not yet at the point where it is appropriate to lower the policy rate... I remain willing to raise the target range for the federal funds rate at a future meeting should progress on inflation stall or even reverse. You may not like this hawkish stance. But it does reflect the reality of the situation. Sure, inflation is down from the big highs two years ago. But it has still been stubborn. And the economy is still running hot. So, Yellen might claim that she doesn't see sticker shock at the grocery store. But most consumers do. On the investing side, there's one key takeaway... The music hasn't stopped. Despite an incredible run of rate hikes, the Fed hasn't managed to push America into a recession. And aggregate inflation is still roughly 3%. That's a full percentage point higher than the Fed's target rate. In other words, this "hot" economic cycle is still playing out. And that means there's still room for stocks to run higher. Good investing, Vic Lederman P.S. Earlier this week, my colleague and Chaikin Analytics founder Marc Chaikin went on camera to share a startling update to his market outlook for the rest of the year... In fact, it's one you've almost certainly never heard before. And you likely won't hear it anywhere else. And that's not all. Marc also made a huge personal announcement about his life's work. If you missed the big reveal, don't worry... We've made a full replay available with all the details right here Market View Major Indexes and Notable Sectors     # Hld:     Bullish     Neutral     Bearish Dow 30 +0.08% 8 17 5 S&P 500 +0.17% 112 315 70 Nasdaq +0.26% 33 53 14 Small Caps +1.01% 420 1052 421 Bonds +0.38% — According to the Chaikin Power Bar, Small Cap stocks remain somewhat more Bearish than Large Cap stocks. Major indexes are mixed. *  *  *  * Sector Tracker Sector movement over the last 5 days Communication +2.44% Discretionary +1.86% Energy +0.59% Health Care -0.36% Real Estate -0.73% Staples -0.89% Information Technology -1.08% Industrials -1.15% Financial -1.25% Utilities -1.28% Materials -1.44% *  *  *  * Industry Focus Telecom Services 6 22 11 Over the past 6 months, the Telecom subsector (XTL) has underperformed the S&P 500 by -18.66%. Its Power Bar ratio, which measures future potential, is Weak, with more Bearish than Bullish stocks. It is currently ranked #17 of 21 subsectors. Indicative Stocks VSAT Viasat, Inc. LUMN Lumen Technologies, EXTR Extreme Networks, In *  *  *  * Top Movers Gainers SMCI +7.12% PANW +4.78% MKC +4.33% CRM +3.99% ANET +3.95% Losers WBA -22.16% IP -7.21% MU -7.12% CMG -5.24% ALB -4.0% *  *  *  * Earnings Report Reporting Today Rating Before Open After Close ROIV GIS No earnings reporting today. Earnings Surprises NKE NIKE, Inc. Q4 $0.98 Beat by $0.22 MKC McCormick & Company, Incorporated Q2 $0.69 Beat by $0.10 WBA Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. Q3 $0.63 Missed by $-0.08 *  *  *  * You have received this e-mail as part of your subscription to PowerFeed. If you no longer want to receive e-mails from PowerFeed, click here. You're receiving this e-mail at its028@gmail.com. For questions about your account or to speak with customer service, call +1 (877) 697-6783 (U.S.), 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Eastern time or e-mail info@chaikinanalytics.com. 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