Inflation continues to shape how Americans shop, save, and spend. Even as overall prices cool slightly, everyday essentials remain costly. That reality is pushing more people to prepare for the future by stockpiling goods—just in case.

The U.S. economy is grappling with inflationary pressures as consumer prices surged in June. This trend is expected to worsen as President Trump's tariffs take full effect, impacting the cost of goods and complicating monetary policy decisions.

Inflation moved up in June, due partially to businesses passing tariff costs onto consumers. Despite the uptick, President Trump is on the warpath for the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates, a move that would stimulate markets and investment,

Economists, researchers and analysts have warned that President Donald Trump’s sweeping trade policy of tacking steep tariffs on most goods that come in to America will deliver a taxing blow to consumers via higher prices.

It's a trove of information for portfolio managers and macro-watchers to gauge, and trade policy news headlines are likely to continue breaking. On July 9, President Trump announced a surprise 50% levy on copper imports, followed by a steep 50% duty on Brazil. 1 Together, it put the materials sector in focus.

It hasn't been an easy start to 2025 for Jerome Powell. Unfortunately for the Fed chair, the second half of the year is likely to be even tougher.

US inflation rose to 2.7% in June, its highest since February, driven partly by President Trump’s sweeping tariffs on imports. The spike is pushing up prices on essentials like appliances and clothing.

Still, US inflation climbed from 2.4% to 2.7%, and it is expected to rise further into the end of the year. Inflation hedges such as gold and bitcoin have rallied, and the US dollar is also strengthening on expectations of a cautious Fed cutting cycle.