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Customers shop at a grocery store on Sept. 10, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois.<\/p>\n
Scott Olson | Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Wednesday’s closely watched reading on consumer prices could show intensifying inflationary pressures as energy costs keep climbing.<\/p>\n
Economists polled by Dow Jones expect the headline consumer price index<\/a> for September to rise 0.6% for the month and to increase 3.6% compared with a year ago. That 12-month number would signal that the rate of price growth is accelerating and moving further from the Federal Reserve<\/a>‘s goal of 2%.<\/p>\n So-called core inflation, which strips out volatile food and energy prices, is expected to increase 0.2% from August and 2.5% on a 12-month basis. While that would mark a slight slowdown from the prior month, it would be an uptick in year-over-year inflation.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Oil-related prices could drive the headline figure even higher, said Joe Brusuelas, chief economist at RSM, a tax firm. <\/p>\n Energy costs have been among the biggest drivers of inflation since the U.S. war with Iran began earlier this year. President Donald Trump last week announced loosened diesel restrictions<\/a> on Russia in a bid to juice the global oil trade, though analysts don’t believe<\/a> it will meaningfully bring down prices.<\/p>\n Prices for Brent<\/a>Upside risk <\/h2>\n