US January 2026 CPI Surprise: Inflation Cools Sharper Than Expected, Opening Door for Fed Easing

The Bureau of Labor Statistics published the January 2026 CPI data today at 8:30 a.m. ET, exposing a significant slowdown in inflation surpassing market predictions. Headline: While the year-over-year rate fell from 2.7% to 2.4%, under the 2.5% consensus prediction, CPI climbed just 0.2% month-over-month—down from 0.3% in December and less than the anticipated 0.3%. Falling used vehicle and gasoline prices were mostly responsible for the gentler print, which helped to balance ongoing pressures elsewhere.

Annual core CPI (not including food and energy) was resilient, remaining stable at 2.5% year over year as expected, although the month-over-month rise was lower at 0.2% than the anticipated 0.3%. Rising 0.4% MoM, shelter expenses remained the biggest contributor to inflation; food prices grew 3.1% YoY; energy costs decreased, thus relieving the total index. The interplay of these forces highlights a more general cooling trend, even while specific sticky elements like residences stay high.

Markets favorably responded to the downside surprise; stock futures rose, and Treasury yields fell as the statistics confirmed assumptions for more Federal Reserve policy flexibility in the next months. The lower-than-forecast CPI number supports the argument for possible rate decreases or a stop in tightening, hence fitting with current macro trends favoring a "soft landing" narrative. Investors will now carefully monitor future Fed releases and accompanying statistics to see evidence of this dovish turn.