#CorePCEandGDPFinalReading Cooler Inflation, Stronger Growth: Reading the Core PCE and Final GDP Print

Two of the most important macro numbers of the week landed together on September 30, and the combination was friendlier to risk assets than almost anyone expected. The final reading of second-quarter GDP was revised up, while the Fed's preferred inflation gauge came in cooler than forecast a "Goldilocks" mix that eased rate-hike fears and lifted both stocks and gold.

Start with growth. The Bureau of Economic Analysis reported that final Q2 GDP expanded at a 2.2% annualized pace, up sharply from the 1.5% preliminary estimate and above the 2.1% growth recorded in the first quarter. Economists had expected no revision from 1.5%, so the upgrade was a genuine positive surprise. Notably, the strength was driven by robust consumer spending and business investment tied to the AI infrastructure buildout the same theme dominating equity markets all year.

Then the inflation side. Core PCE which strips out food and energy and is the Fed's preferred measure of underlying price trends rose 0.2% in August, below the 0.3% consensus, putting the annual rate at 3.0% versus an expected 3.3%. Headline PCE rose 0.3% on the month and 3.4% year over year, also below forecasts. Personal income ticked up 0.2%. After the BEA's annual benchmark revisions lowered July's readings, the trend now looks like inflation that is still above the Fed's 2% target but clearly cooling.

The market read was immediate and decisive. The Fed hiked rates by 25 basis points earlier in September its first increase in three years taking the federal funds rate to a 3.75%–4.00% range. The cooler core PCE print sharply reduced the odds of another hike at the late-October meeting, with investors now pricing better-than-even odds that policymakers hold rates steady. Gold rallied to session highs, and equities climbed as the fear of near-term tightening faded.

The bigger picture is a market caught between two forces: an economy that is proving resilient, and an inflation path that is finally bending lower. For crypto and risk assets, that is a constructive backdrop if the Fed pauses, liquidity conditions stabilize, and rate-sensitive assets get breathing room. The caveat is the same as always: core inflation at 3.0% is still 100 basis points above target, and any reacceleration would reopen the door to tightening. For now, the data gives the soft-landing thesis a meaningful win.
#CorePCEandGDPFinalReading