• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

As CEO of the $96 billion Sam’s Club, Latriece Watkins is testing her mettle at the warehouse retailer that produced CEOs for Walmart, Target, and Walgreens

2

Jeff Bezos wants the bottom half of earners to pay zero income tax—he says nurses making just $75K should save $12K a year

3

As AI slashes white-collar jobs, Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff says almost no one is being hired—except in sales

1

As CEO of the $96 billion Sam’s Club, Latriece Watkins is testing her mettle at the warehouse retailer that produced CEOs for Walmart, Target, and Walgreens

2

Jeff Bezos wants the bottom half of earners to pay zero income tax—he says nurses making just $75K should save $12K a year

3

As AI slashes white-collar jobs, Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff says almost no one is being hired—except in sales
FinanceInflation

May’s hot inflation read means there’s ‘nowhere to hide’—and a risk of even more pain in stocks as the Fed hikes faster, BofA says

By
Christine Mui
Christine Mui
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Christine Mui
Christine Mui
Down Arrow Button Icon
June 10, 2022, 2:04 PM ET

Consumer prices in the U.S. marked their fastest acceleration since 1981 in May, with consumer inflation rising 8.6% from the same period a year ago, Labor Department data indicated Friday.

Bank of America Research analysts warned consumers in a report titled  “nowhere to hide” that inflation is becoming increasingly—and frighteningly—inescapable in everyday staples including housing, gas, and food. 

The consumer price index for all items jumped 1% from April, worse than Wall Street’s predictions of a 0.7% increase. At the same time, “core” inflation — which excludes the more volatile prices of food and gas — rose 0.6%, more than the 0.5% expected, although it actually fell from April

A major contributor to the rise was surging new and used car prices, by 1% and 1.8% respectively. BofA said this may indicate the auto industry faced a new round of supply shortages last month. A global semiconductor chip shortage still threatens the automobile industry’s recovery two years after the pandemic began. 

Also driving the index were the cost of shelter rising 0.6% and airfares soaring 12.6%. The cost of plane tickets has seen a 48% increase in the last three months alone, according to the note. 

“Inflation is no longer just a function of goods supply-chain disruptions,” the team led by Aditya Bhave wrote. “Inflation is also being driven by strong consumer demand because of a red hot labor market and strong wage inflation.” 

The team then sounded the alarm, saying “inflation has become embedded in the more cyclical service sectors (e.g., housing) as well.” This is a scary sign as inflation gets really dangerous when it becomes what economists call “embedded,” which refers to consistent price increases in most or all parts of the economy. That’s what BofA hinted at, saying “we are struck by the fact that there were almost no pockets of weakness” in the CPI report. 

Accordingly, BofA said it expects this report to push the Federal Reserve toward a “more aggressive” response to fight inflation with more and bigger interest-rate hikes. It said that although the Fed has already telegraphed 50 basis point rate hikes in June and July, “today’s print increases the risk of another 50bp increase” and the market is pricing in an even more aggressive Fed response on the back of this inflation read.

Friday’s report is “consistent with a Fed needing to hike aggressively to cool inflation at the expense of longer term growth,” the note said. Given stocks’ reaction to the Fed hikes so far this year, that likely means more pain ahead for investors.

The Biden administration has pointed to the Fed as the party responsible for controlling inflation, saying the central bank holds the primary responsibility.

“What the numbers today underscore is what the president has been saying and what we are focused on—which is fighting inflation—has got to be our top economic priority,” Brian Deese, the director of the National Economic Council said on Bloomberg TV Friday. “The Fed has the tools that it needs, and we are giving them the space that it needs to operate.”

Sign up for the Fortune Features email list so you don’t miss our biggest features, exclusive interviews, and investigations.

About the Author
By Christine Mui
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Finance

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Finance

Best certificates of deposit (CDs) for May 2026
Personal FinanceCertificates of Deposit (CDs)
Best certificates of deposit (CDs) for May 2026
By Glen Luke FlanaganMay 29, 2026
4 hours ago
Russia warns war costs are ravaging its finances while Ukrainian ‘drone overmatch’ sends Putin’s forces reeling in new phase of combat
PoliticsRussia
Russia warns war costs are ravaging its finances while Ukrainian ‘drone overmatch’ sends Putin’s forces reeling in new phase of combat
By Jason MaMay 29, 2026
5 hours ago
Mid adult real estate agent talking to couple at a house for sale
Real Estatehomebuying
Pandemic relief funds accidentally broke the housing market by helping scammers inflate local home prices nearly 6%, study finds
By Tristan BoveMay 29, 2026
6 hours ago
donald trump
EconomyImmigration
Immigration restrictions don’t boost native workers. They cut economic mobility for generations, study finds
By Jake AngeloMay 29, 2026
6 hours ago
dimon
SuccessGen Z
Jamie Dimon tells Gen Z to ‘learn how to think, learn how to earn respect’ as he describes ‘great meeting’ with Zohran Mamdani
By Nick LichtenbergMay 29, 2026
7 hours ago
The AI arms race in cybersecurity has started. Most companies aren’t ready
Cryptocyber
The AI arms race in cybersecurity has started. Most companies aren’t ready
By Philip MartinMay 29, 2026
7 hours ago

Most Popular

As CEO of the $96 billion Sam’s Club, Latriece Watkins is testing her mettle at the warehouse retailer that produced CEOs for Walmart, Target, and Walgreens
Magazine
As CEO of the $96 billion Sam’s Club, Latriece Watkins is testing her mettle at the warehouse retailer that produced CEOs for Walmart, Target, and Walgreens
By Emma HinchliffeMay 27, 2026
3 days ago
Jeff Bezos wants the bottom half of earners to pay zero income tax—he says nurses making just $75K should save $12K a year
Success
Jeff Bezos wants the bottom half of earners to pay zero income tax—he says nurses making just $75K should save $12K a year
By Preston ForeMay 21, 2026
8 days ago
As AI slashes white-collar jobs, Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff says almost no one is being hired—except in sales
Success
As AI slashes white-collar jobs, Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff says almost no one is being hired—except in sales
By Emma BurleighMay 28, 2026
1 day ago
The river that supplies 40 million Americans is down to 23% — and about to make a $25 million bet on one fish
Environment
The river that supplies 40 million Americans is down to 23% — and about to make a $25 million bet on one fish
By Dorany Pineda, Brittany Peterson and The Associated PressMay 27, 2026
2 days ago
Current price of oil as of May 28, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of May 28, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerMay 28, 2026
1 day ago
Jamie Dimon said the American Dream was slipping away. JPMorgan just put $40 million on the table to fix it
Banking
Jamie Dimon said the American Dream was slipping away. JPMorgan just put $40 million on the table to fix it
By Nick LichtenbergMay 27, 2026
2 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.