Inflation Overview - Inflation rose 0.4% in August, with a year-over-year increase of 2.9%, remaining above the Federal Reserve's target rate [1] - Core prices, excluding volatile items like gasoline and food, increased by 0.3% month-over-month and 3.1% year-over-year, aligning with economists' expectations [2] Impact on Households - High inflation has imposed significant financial pressures on U.S. households, particularly affecting lower-income Americans who spend a larger portion of their income on necessities [3] Food Prices - Food prices rose 0.5% in August, with the food at home index increasing by 0.6% and food away from home by 0.3%. Year-over-year, the overall food index is up 3.2% [4] - Specific food categories showed varied price changes: egg prices remained flat, meat, poultry, and fish rose by 1.1%, dairy increased by 0.1%, and fruits and vegetables rose by 1.6% [5] Housing and Shelter Costs - Housing prices increased by 0.4% in August and are 3.6% higher than a year ago, driven primarily by the shelter index [8] - Energy costs rose by 0.7% month-over-month, with gasoline prices increasing by 1.9% but down 6.6% year-over-year [8] Transportation and Apparel Costs - Transportation costs increased by 1% in August and are 3.5% higher than last year, with auto maintenance costs up 2.4% month-over-month [9] - Apparel prices jumped by 2.2% in August, with footwear costs rising by 0.8% [9] Other Goods and Services - Tools, hardware, and outdoor equipment prices increased by 0.8% in August, up 3.9% year-over-year, while furniture and bedding costs rose by 0.3% and are up 4.7% from last year [10]

Group 1 - Analysts forecast PSEG (PEG) will report quarterly earnings of $0.71 per share, reflecting a year-over-year increase of 12.7% [1] - Anticipated revenues for the quarter are $2.34 billion, showing a decrease of 3.2% compared to the previous year [1] - The consensus EPS estimate has remained unchanged over the last 30 days, indicating a reevaluation of initial estimates by analysts [1] Group 2 - Revenue for PSE&G is expected to reach $1.97 billion, indicating a year-over-year change of +5.6% [3] - Revenue from Power & Other is projected at $453.29 million, representing a decline of -33.7% from the prior-year quarter [4] - The consensus estimate for total gas sold and transported is 543 million dekatherm, slightly down from 550 million dekatherm a year ago [4] Group 3 - Analysts estimate 'Gas Sold and Transported - Total Non-Firm Sales' at 176 million dekatherm, down from 191 million dekatherm in the previous year [5] - 'Gas Sold and Transported - Total Firm Sales' is expected to be 366 million dekatherm, compared to 359 million dekatherm reported last year [6] - Operating Income for Power & Other is forecasted to be $72.68 million, down from $115.00 million in the prior year [6] Group 4 - Operating Income for PSE&G is projected to reach $527.13 million, an increase from $467.00 million reported last year [7] - PSEG shares have increased by +9.4% in the past month, outperforming the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +2.7% [7] - PSEG holds a Zacks Rank 3 (Hold), indicating it is expected to closely follow overall market performance in the near term [7]