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January 13, 2026
Consumer prices in the U.S. increased in December, according to a report released by the Labor Department on Tuesday. The Labor Department reported that its CPI increased by 0.3% in December. Excluding food and energy prices, core consumer prices rose by 0.2% in December.
The report also said the annual rate of growth in consumer prices came in at 2.7% in December, unchanged from November. The annual rate of growth by core consumer prices was also unchanged from the previous month at 2.6.
The Labor Department said the largest factor in the monthly increase in consumer prices was the 0.4% growth in prices for shelter. Food prices also increased by 0.7% during December, while energy prices rose by 0.3%.
The uptick in core prices reflected the increase in shelter costs as well as higher prices for recreation, airline fares, medical care, apparel, personal care, and education. Meanwhile, the report said prices for communication, used cars and trucks, and household furnishings and operations were among those that decreased in December.
The Labor Department is scheduled to release a separate report on producer price inflation in December on Wednesday. 01/13/2026 - 09:45:00 (RTTNews)
British Pounds traded at 1.3430 against USD at 9:00 AM PST
U.K. retail sales grew at a slower pace in December despite the festive season as consumers cut back spending on higher household bills. Total retail sales increased 1.2% in December from the previous year, compared to an annual growth of 3.2% in the same period the previous year.
Food sales rose 3.1% yearly, while non-food sales decreased 0.3%. In-store non-food sales dropped 0.5% and online non-food sales fell 0.1%. The online penetration rate increased to 38.6% in December from 38.5% in the previous year. 01/13/2026 - 02:38:00 (RTTNews)
Australia's consumer confidence weakened in January as consumers became more concerned about what 2026 may bring for family finances and the wider economy. The consumer confidence index dropped to 92.9 in January from 94.5 in December.
The January decline centered on the outlook for the year ahead. Family finances and the economy registered the sharpest declines in January, declining to 4.5% and 6.5%. This was partially offset by a small improvement in assessments of family finances vs a year ago and slight gains for the 'economic outlook, next 5 years' and 'time to buy a major household item' sub-indexes, 0.9% and 0.2%. Moreover, the 'family finances vs a year ago' index gained 2.3%.
Despite these modest improvements, all sub-indexes remained below 100. This was only the second time since October 2024 that pessimists outnumbered optimists across every component. Sentiment regarding the near-term outlook for jobs also deteriorated in January. At the same time, home buyer sentiment improved slightly in January but remained pessimistic overall. The 'time to buy a dwelling' index rose 4% to 89.6.
The Reserve Bank of Australia next meets on February 2 and 3. 01/13/2026 - 00:40:00 (RTTNews)
This market update is prepared by Cathay Bank for informational purposes only and does not constitute any form of legal, tax or investment advice, nor should it be considered an assurance or guarantee of future exchange rate movements or trends. This information is provided without regard to the specific objectives, financial situations or needs of any recipient. Cathay Bank does not make any representations or warranties about the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of this market update.
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