The United States core Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) Price Index rose 0.3% for September 2026, in line with the market forecast of 0.3%. The figure was also unchanged from the previous period, when the index likewise recorded a 0.3% reading, according to the data released at 12:30 GMT on 29 October 2026.
What the figure measures
The core PCE index tracks the prices of goods and services bought by households, excluding food and energy, which are volatile. It is the inflation measure the Federal Reserve watches most closely when setting interest rates. A reading of 0.3% means prices for the basket rose by that amount over the reference period.
Because the reading matched expectations exactly and did not change from the previous period, the release gave no surprise to markets. Analysts had already priced in a steady monthly pace, and the outcome confirmed that view without shifting it.
Annual inflation backdrop
Separately, US annual inflation stood at 3.7% for the September 2026 reading, near its 31-day high. That figure is a different measure from the monthly core PCE reading and covers a wider basket, so the two should not be read as the same number.
Related: Japan core inflation Hits 2.1% in September, above forecasts
Data: FRED — St. Louis Fed
