Inflation rates unchanged
The CPI, which measures inflation rates for the products consumers buy, rose 0.4% month over month in September. However, the headline number, which is the one the Fed tracks more closely, is the year-over-year rate, which held steady at 3.7%.
In fact, the 3.7% inflation rate over the past 12 months is slightly higher than expected. Economists had predicted a monthly increase of 0.3% and a year-over-year rise of 3.6%. As a result, the stock markets were down slightly on Thursday morning after the CPI was released.
Yesterday, the BLS released the September PPI, which is the measure of prices that producers, or businesses, receive for their products. The PPI rose 0.5% in September, which was lower than the 0.7% increase in August but higher than the 0.3% reading anticipated by economists.
Hold Steady at
hold steady at 表示「維持在……不變」、 「穩定維持在……」。
原文： which held steady at 3.7%
意思是「維持在 3.7%」。
hold steady at + 數字 是財經新聞中很常見的用法。
例如：
- Inflation held steady at 3.7%.
- The unemployment rate held steady at 4%.
- The stock price held steady at $100.
which measures
which 引導關係子句，用來補充說明前面的 the CPI。
measure 在這裡是「衡量、測量」的意思。
month over month
month over month 表示「月增」、「較上月」， 是財經英文非常常見的用法。
例如： Sales increased 5% month over month. = 銷售額較上月增加 5%。
同義表達：
- MoM
- from the previous month
- compared with the previous month
headline number
headline number 可以理解為「最受關注的主要數據」。
財經新聞中常見：
- headline inflation：整體通膨
- headline figure：主要數據
- headline earnings：主要獲利數據
track more closely
track 在財經英文中除了「追蹤」， 也可以表示「密切關注、監測」。
track more closely = 更密切地追蹤。
year-over-year
year-over-year 表示「年增」、「較去年同期」， 常縮寫為 YoY。
- year-over-year growth：年增長
- year-over-year increase：年增幅
- year-over-year rate：年增率
In fact
in fact = 事實上。
同義詞： actually、indeed
over the past 12 months
over the past 12 months = 過去 12 個月。
over + 一段時間 可以表示「在某段時間內」。
slightly higher than expected
slightly higher than expected = 略高於預期。
- higher than expected：高於預期
- lower than expected：低於預期
- slightly higher than expected：略高於預期
- slightly lower than expected：略低於預期
had predicted
had predicted 是過去完成式： had + 過去分詞。
用來表示在另一個過去事件發生之前， 已經做出的預測。
a monthly increase of
an increase of + 數字 是財經英文常見結構。
a monthly increase of 0.3% = 月增 0.3%。
rise
rise 可以作動詞，也可以作名詞。 這裡是名詞，表示「上升、增幅」。
同義詞： increase、gain、growth
As a result
as a result = 因此、結果。
同義詞： therefore、consequently、 as a consequence
be down
be down 在財經新聞中表示「下跌」。
The stock was down 2%. = 該股票下跌 2%。
相反： be up = 上漲。
was released
was released 是被動語態， 表示「被公布、被發布」。
- release data：公布數據
- release earnings：公布獲利
- release results：公布結果
- release a report：發布報告
measure
這裡的 measure 是名詞， 表示「衡量指標、衡量方式」。
producers, or businesses
producers, or businesses 是補充說明的結構，表示「生產者，也就是企業」。
prices that producers receive
that producers receive 是關係子句。
prices that producers receive = 生產者收到的價格。
lower than … but higher than …
lower than A but higher than B = 低於 A，但高於 B。
reading
reading 在財經新聞中不一定是「閱讀」。 在經濟數據的語境裡，通常表示「數據、讀數、數值」。
- inflation reading：通膨數據
- CPI reading：CPI 數據
- economic reading：經濟數據
anticipated by economists
anticipated = 預期、預料。
the 0.3% reading anticipated by economists = 經濟學家預期的 0.3% 數據。
anticipated by economists 是過去分詞片語，修飾前面的 reading。
重要單字
- inflation：通貨膨脹、通膨
- rate：比率、數率
- measure：衡量、衡量指標
- product：產品
- headline：主要的、最受關注的
- track：追蹤、監測
- steady：穩定的
- economist：經濟學家
- predict：預測
- release：發布、公布
- producer：生產者
- anticipated：預期的
- reading：數據、讀數
同義詞整理
- hold steady → remain stable / remain unchanged
- higher than expected → above expectations
- lower than expected → below expectations
- rise → increase / gain / growth
- track → monitor / follow
- slightly → somewhat / marginally
- as a result → therefore / consequently
