What to Watch: Australian CPI Leads the Next 24 Hours

The next 24 hours are front-loaded with Australian inflation data, the clear high-impact event on the docket. A softer US confidence print fills out the schedule.

United States

First up, CB Consumer Confidence lands at 14:00 UTC on 25 August. The forecast is 90.3, a touch below the previous 90.8 reading. The medium-impact gauge tracks households’ assessment of current and future economic conditions, and it matters for the USD.

Australia

The main event arrives at 01:30 UTC on 26 August, when Australia releases a cluster of high-impact inflation figures — all landing at once for the AUD.

CPI m/m is forecast at 0.9%, a sharp swing from the prior -0.1%. The monthly series captures the change in prices of goods and services paid by consumers.

CPI y/y is expected at 3.3%, cooler than the previous 3.8%. The annual read is the broader gauge of the inflation trend.

Trimmed Mean CPI m/m, the core measure that strips out the most volatile price moves, is forecast at 0.4% versus 0.3% prior.

With all three landing simultaneously, the Australian print is the session’s dominant release for the AUD.

What to Watch

The Australian CPI trio at 01:30 UTC is the highest-impact item on the calendar, with the US confidence figure at 14:00 UTC the only other scheduled release.