张瑜：关注今年CPI可能存在的预期差

Core Conclusion - This year remains a year where "price is more important than quantity," with a focus on CPI trends. The report highlights that due to base effects and the influence of food and energy prices, the CPI year-on-year may differ from current market expectations, but this does not imply increasing price pressure. Core CPI is expected to recover moderately [2][12]. Factors Influencing CPI Factor 1: Initial Monthly Changes Impacting New Price Increases - The initial monthly changes have a significant impact on new price increases for the entire year. For instance, the average monthly CPI for the first quarter is expected to be lower than last year, leading to lower new price increases compared to previous years [3][15]. Factor 2: Caution in Using Historical Seasonality for Food Prices - Recent fluctuations in food prices, particularly outside of pork, necessitate caution in applying historical seasonality to predict current trends. For example, vegetable prices may be affected by abnormal weather patterns, and pork prices are expected to remain lower than last year due to increased supply [4][16][17]. Factor 3: Potential Decline in Oil Prices - Oil prices are expected to decrease, which will directly affect transportation fuel prices. A 10% change in international oil prices could impact CPI by approximately 0.2 percentage points. Current forecasts suggest a significant drop in oil price averages compared to last year [8][24]. Factor 4: Moderate Recovery of Core CPI - Core CPI, which excludes food and energy, is anticipated to recover slowly. Factors influencing this include rental prices, core goods, and core services. The recovery of rental prices is contingent on improvements in employment and income levels [9][25][26]. Outlook for CPI Trends - The CPI trend for the latter part of the year is expected to be weak. Factors contributing to this include a continued loose supply of pork, potential weakness in food prices outside of pork, and a likely decrease in oil prices. Core CPI is expected to recover moderately, contingent on significant economic recovery [12][30].