What it measures
The Consumer Price Index tracks the average change over time in the prices that urban consumers pay for a fixed basket of goods and services. The calendar shows the change from the previous month, seasonally adjusted, so that regular patterns such as holiday price swings do not distort the reading.
The year-on-year rate, which is the figure most often quoted in the news, is in the same release.
Who publishes it and when
The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes the CPI once a month at 08:30 New York time, usually in the second or third week, for the previous month. Core CPI comes out at the same moment.
How it is put together
BLS staff record the prices of a large sample of goods and services across U.S. urban areas each month, and the items are weighted by how much households spend on them. Housing costs carry the largest weight in the basket.
Monthly changes are seasonally adjusted. The index is rarely revised once published, apart from the yearly update of the seasonal factors.
What traders watch
Traders look at the headline and the core rate side by side, and at the breakdown: shelter, services and goods tell different stories about where inflation is coming from.
The comparison with expectations matters more than the level itself, because markets usually price in an expected figure in the days before.
How markets have usually reacted
A hotter than expected CPI has often pushed U.S. yields and the dollar higher and weighed on gold and stock indices, as markets price higher interest rates. A softer reading has often done the opposite.
Because so much hangs on it, the first minutes after the release can be very fast and can reverse.
Common mistakes
- Confusing the monthly change with the year-on-year rate, which can move in opposite directions.
- Ignoring core CPI: food and energy can swing the headline for reasons the Federal Reserve tends to look through.
- Placing orders right at the release time, when spreads are widest and fills can slip.
How a higher or lower figure is usually read
A higher reading than last month is usually read as supportive for the U.S. dollar, because it points to tighter policy; a lower one as negative. Not a signal.
Release history
| Date | Period | Actual | Previous |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 2026 | 0.6% | 0.4% |
Related news
- US Core CPI
- US Producer Price Index (PPI) Final Demand
- US Core PCE Price Index
- FOMC Rate Decision (Federal Reserve)
- Economic calendar: every release this week in your time zone
- Lot size calculator: keep your risk the same around news
- How to use an economic calendar: what happens around a release, and how to plan for it
Trading involves a high risk of loss. This page is information and education, not advice or a signal to trade. See the Risk Disclaimer.
Official source
This product uses the FRED® API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.
Calendar data: fred.stlouisfed.org
Published by U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS): www.bls.gov