Jan 2026 CPI 2.4% Surprise; US Equity Futures Rise

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported on February 13, 2026, that the annualized CPI rose 2.4% in January, below the 2.5% expected and the 2.7% of December; the monthly increase was 0.2%, down from 0.3%. Core CPI, excluding volatile energy and food, rose 2.5% year-over-year, matching expectations and slightly lower than December's 2.6%; the monthly core increase was 0.3%, also slightly lower than the 0.2% in December. Following the release, U.S. equity futures surged: the S&P 500 futures gained 0.12%, the Dow Jones futures 0.06%, and the Nasdaq 100 futures 0.13%. The dollar index fell 0.03% in early trade.