I nflation and P rices The inflation indicators were mixed in September. Other inflation measures were not quite as encouraging, however.
Households are on the more pessimistic end of the spectrum.
During the 1970s, increases in commodity prices tended to be followed by higher consumer prices. Recent statistical tests, however, show little evidence of this relationship after 1985. Much of the downward pressure on the CPI came from the motor fuel and energy services components. The median measures core inflation by focusing on the center of the weighted distribution of price changes . Unlike a weighted average, such as the standard CPI, the median is not influenced by large changes at either end of the distribution.