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US wholesale inflation remained stubbornly elevated last month, another sign that even higher prices could be ahead for American shoppers.

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Data isn’t stacking up for a Fed rate cut, multiple regional presidents have hinted, as January’s CPI report makes for “uncomfortable” reading for Powell.

(Reuters) -The Federal Reserve will likely wait until September before cutting its policy rate, traders bet on Thursday, as data kept alive worries over elevated inflation and a decline in jobless claims suggested the labor market remains healthy. Even so, the specific elements that drove the 0.4% rise last month in the producer price index -- versus economists' expectation for a 0.3% gain -- gave some reason to expect improvement in the measure that the Fed uses to track inflation. Several analysts crunching the data along with Wednesday's report of a surge in consumer prices in January say they now estimate underlying year-over-year personal consumption expenditure price inflation rose 2.6% or 2.7% in January, down from 2.8% in December.

The International Energy Agency on Thursday raised its projection for 2025 oil demand growth slightly, with China continuing to drive the increase—though at a smaller pace than in the past.

U.S. wholesale prices came in hotter than expected last month with progress against inflation appearing to have stalled, further undercutting expectations for lower interest rates this year. Economists and financial markets fear President Donald Trump’s policies will push inflation higher yet. The Labor Department reported Thursday that its producer price index — which tracks inflation before it reaches consumers — rose 0.4% from December and 3.5% from January 2024.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. producer prices increased solidly in January, offering more evidence inflation was picking up again and strengthening financial market views that the Federal Reserve would not be cutting interest rates before the second half of the year. Economists warned inflation was set to trend even higher as President Donald Trump presses ahead with broad tariffs on imports as well as mass deportations that could cause labor shortages and raise wages and prices of goods. "The report does give pause to rate cut expectations, however, as higher business costs are likely to translate into upward pressure on consumer prices in the months to come," said Kurt Rankin, a senior economist at PNC Financial.