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BLS Sets Rare Friday CPI Release Five Days Before Fed Meeting

A data freeze leaves policymakers unusually dependent on one inflation reading.

Overview

  • The Bureau of Labor Statistics will publish the delayed September CPI at 8:30 a.m. ET on Friday, Oct. 24, while stating that other federal releases remain suspended during the shutdown.
  • It will be the first CPI issued on a Friday since January 2018 and it lands just before the Oct. 28–29 FOMC meeting, compressing the window for policy reaction.
  • Rates markets lean heavily toward a 25 basis-point cut this month with only a small chance of a larger move, and the single CPI print could quickly shift those odds.
  • Surveys point to slower inflation versus August, yet uncertainty is elevated because corroborating federal data have been postponed.
  • Risk assets, including cryptocurrencies, are highly sensitive to the outcome, with the total crypto market value reported near $3.71 trillion.