Inflation, the Fed's Response and Market Implications

U.S. inflation reached an annualized rate of 7.0% in December 2021, its fastest pace in nearly four decades. Even the core price index, which excludes the volatile categories of food and energy, climbed to 5.5%. The question is whether inflation will peak in the coming months, as balance sheets are drained and supply chain pressures abate, or whether inflation has become a more permanent fixture in the U.S. economy.