Finally, some good news about affordability for Main Street and Wall Street. Underlying inflation rose in December by less than expected, with the core Consumer Price Index increasing 0.2% from November, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Jan. 13. The annual core CPI rose 2.6%, matching a four-year low. Core goods prices stagnated last month, defying expectations for a rebound as post-shutdown data trickles in. Economists expect inflation to ease gradually over the course of 2026: Companies typ ...

Group 1 - The Federal Reserve faces a dilemma between prioritizing the weak real estate market and the booming AI infrastructure investments [2] - Current indicators show that the Federal Reserve has not achieved its 2% inflation target, with both market and household inflation expectations lacking confidence in short-term achievement [2][3] - The labor market situation is ambiguous, with some layoffs and a slight increase in initial unemployment claims, but the overall unemployment rate remains low [2][3] Group 2 - The homebuilder confidence index in the U.S. has dropped to its lowest level in two and a half years, with over one-third of builders reducing prices and two-thirds offering incentives to attract buyers deterred by high mortgage rates [3] - New home inventory is nearing levels not seen since the end of 2007, despite a slight increase in new home starts in July [3][4] - The "homeowner lock-in" effect is a significant issue, as homeowners with low-interest loans are reluctant to sell and face higher new loan costs, leading to a situation where the median price of existing homes has surpassed that of new homes for the first time [5] Group 3 - The influx of hundreds of billions into AI-related data centers and the expected trillion-dollar investments in the future could accelerate the demand for capital, complicating the Federal Reserve's decision on interest rates [6] - High interest rates have pressured housing-related income and spending, yet the Federal Reserve has not achieved its inflation target, raising questions about the potential rebound in the real estate sector if rates are lowered [6] - The Federal Reserve's policy effects typically take at least a year to manifest, suggesting that the economic conditions may differ by that time [6][7]