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What is the Consumer Price Index (CPI)?

What is the Consumer Price Index(CPI)? The Consumer Price Index (CPI) is a measure of the change in prices paid by consumers for a basket of goods and services. It is one of the most widely followed economic indicators, and it is used by investors to gauge inflation and make investment decisions. How is the CPI calculated? The CPI is calculated by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The BLS surveys households across the United States to collect data on the prices they pay for goods and services. This data is then used to create a "basket" of goods and services that represents the spending habits of the average American household. The BLS calculates the CPI by comparing the prices in the basket of goods and services in a given month to the prices in the same basket of goods and services in a base year. The base year is usually 2000. How does the CPI affect investing? The CPI is an important indicator of inflation. When the CPI rises, it means that the cost of living is incre...

3 Divergent Signals From Tonight's Pre-Market That Point to Shifting Capital Flows

Photo by Vandan Patel on Unsplash 📅 July 16, 2026 · 09:10 AM EDT  |  Wall Street Daily Briefing Pre-Market Snapshot Tonight's US pre-market points to a divergent open, with tech-heavy NASDAQ futures tracking lower while the Dow shows resilience. Asian markets saw significant downside, particularly KOSPI, suggesting a broad risk-off sentiment globally but with sector-specific rotation opportunities emerging as investors re-evaluate risk. As US markets prepare to open, S&P 500 futures are down 0.34% at 7588.75 , while NASDAQ futures are notably weaker, shedding 0.96% to 29408.25 . In contrast, Dow futures registered a slight gain of 0.03%, rising to 52916.0 . The Russell 2000 futures also softened by 0.47% to 2977.7. This divergence appears to signal a rotation away from growth. Overnight, Asian markets saw pronounced weakness, with Japan's Nikkei 225 closing down 2.79% at 66835.54 and South Korea's KOSPI plunging 6.37% to 68...