Markets Rally on CPI, Megan Isn't Sold | S3 E159 | 08-12-26

Markets with Megan: A Quick Financial Markets Update · Aug 12, 2026 · 3m · transcript

July's Consumer Price Index is in, and markets are cheering. Headline CPI rose 0.1% for the month and 3.5% year-over-year, while core CPI came in at 0.2% monthly and 2.5% annually. Both numbers landed right where economists expected, and both ticked slightly lower than June. But as Megan explains, "as expected" isn't the same as "good news."

In this episode, Megan covers:

- Why July's in-line CPI report still isn't something to fully celebrate

- How service sector inflation reversed course and ticked back up to 0.2%

- Which categories, like airline fares and apparel, are still pushing prices…