The rent is too damn high. It’s keeping interest rates elevated, too

A key inflation measure printed higher than expected last month, sending markets into a tizzy and adding to fears that the Federal Reserve may not lower interest rates at all this year.

A version of this story first appeared in CNN Business’ Before the Bell newsletter. Not a subscriber? You can sign up right here. You can listen to an audio version of the newsletter by clicking the same link. A key measure of US inflation printed higher than expected last month, sending markets into a tizzy and adding to fears that the Federal Reserve may not lower interest rates at all this year. But some analysts noted that inflation rates were boosted by just a couple of factors, especially shelter prices. In short, the rent is too damn high — and it’s keeping inflation and interest rates elevated alongside it. Some analysts think that it’s going to stay that way for a while. We’ll see if they’re right on Tuesday morning when February’s CPI data is due out. Prices are expected to rise at an annual rate of 3.1%, unchanged from January, and by 0.4% since last month, a slight acceleration from 0.3%.