PCE inflation September 2026: prices rose 0.5% in a month as the Fed gauge hits 3.7%

September inflation, measured the way the Federal Reserve prefers it, snapped back toward the uncomfortable end of the range, and the number lands on household budgets before the indexes ever finish printing. Headline personal consumption expenditures prices rose 0.5 percent in the month, the fastest pace since the spring, and 3.7 percent from a year ago, according to the Commerce Department's Bureau of Economic Analysis, which published the September Personal Income and Outlays report at 8:30 this morning. Take out food and energy and the core gauge still rose 0.3 percent on the month, holding 3.1 percent above last September.

Key Takeaways Headline PCE prices rose 0.5% in September, the str…