CNBC’s Jim Cramer bemoaned Thursday’s hotter-than-expected inflation figures for December, saying the data was a blow to bulls hoping for interest rate cuts from the Federal Reserve. He said the market needs a solid start to earnings season on Friday to improve the averages.
The consumer price index increased 0.3% in December from the month before, higher than most economists estimated, which suggests the U.S. doesn’t yet have a handle on inflation. Following the news, the Nasdaq Composite closed flat, the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.04% and the S&P 500 edged down 0.07%.