163 - Inflation Cooled on Paper B...

163 - Inflation Cooled on Paper But The Details Still Look Sticky | IINsights

Explicit
AI
Roaming Returns by Tim & Carmela
E163
Jul 20, 2026
36:57

Episode notes

Investing IINsights — Weekly Email Audio Edition Topic: Inflation Cooled on Paper But The Details Still Look Sticky

Inflation cooled in the headline numbers this week—but that does not mean the inflation problem is solved.

In this episode, we break down the latest CPI, PPI, and retail sales data through an income-investor lens. CPI dropped sharply month-over-month, helped heavily by falling energy prices, but core inflation stayed sticky and shelter costs continued rising. Producer prices also looked better on the goods side, but services inflation is still running hot, which matters because the U.S. economy is heavily service-based.

We also dig into why retail sales data can be misleading when prices are rising. Consumers may be “spending more” in dollar terms, but that does not always mean they’re buying more. Sometimes it just means the same stuff costs more.

In this episode, we cover:

  • Why CPI cooled—but may not stay cool
  • How energy prices distorted the inflation report
  • Why shelter and services inflation are still sticky
  • What PPI says about business margins
  • Why retail sales can look stronger than consumers actually feel
  • How investors can use valuation instead of trusting headline noise
  • This week’s Top 5 IINvestments going ex-dividend
  • Portfolio updates across the income, main, and retirement portfolios
  • June dividend results and where cash is being deployed next

If you like weekly market breakdowns, dividend-income investing, and a little healthy skepticism toward headline economic data, this is your IINsights drop.

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Keywords

Dividend Investing
Investing Strategy
Stock Market Strategy
Portfolio Update
Investing Insights
Economic Update
Finance News
stock market news
inflation
economic climate