The August inflation numbers are a head fake

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On Tuesday, the government reported that the headline consumer price inflation rate for August was near zero, 0.1%, on a month-on-month basis. But don’t be fooled into believing that the inflation fight is nearing its end.

The headline report was largely influenced by the fall in gasoline prices over the course of the month. According to the AAA, at the beginning of August, the average price of gasoline across the country was around $4.21 a gallon. At the end of August, gas prices averaged about $3.80 a gallon. Thus, in August, gasoline prices were down about 8%. As all drivers know, gasoline prices are volatile; moves up and down are transitory.

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