Daily Roundup of Key US Economic Data for Jan. 13

02:31 PM EST, 01/13/2026 (MT Newswires) -- The consumer price index rose by 0.3% in December, as expected, and was up 0.2% excluding food and energy prices, below expectations.

The year-over-year rate remained at 2.7% and core reading held steady at 2.6%.

Food prices rose by 0.7%, while energy prices increased by 0.3%. Gasoline prices alone were down 0.5%. Owners' equivalent rents rose by 0.3%, as were regular rents, accounting for about one-third of the overall gain.

Apparel prices rose by 0.6% and medical care services rose by 0.4%, offset by a 1.1% drop in used car and truck prices and a flat reading for new vehicle prices.

The US Treasury reported a $144.75 billion budget deficit in December, larger than the $86.73 billion deficit reported in December 2024 due to larger outlays partially offset by only slightly larger receipts.

The RealClearMarkets' sentiment index, the first consumer measure for January, fell to 47.2 from 47.9 in December. Any reading below 50 indicates more pessimism than optimism. There were declines in both the six-month outlook and confidence in federal economic policies, but a gain in the personal financial outlook as financial stress declined.

The National Federation of Independent Business' monthly sentiment index rose to 99.5 in December from 99.0 in November, with the largest gain seen in the measure of inflation expectations.

The year "2025 ended with a further increase in small business optimism," said NFIB Chief Economist Bill Dunkelberg. "While Main Street business owners remain concerned about taxes, they anticipate favorable economic conditions in 2026 due to waning cost pressures, easing labor challenges, and an increase in capital investments."

New-home sales fell to a 737,000 annual rate in October from 738,000 rate in September but were up 18.7% from the level in October 2024. Home supply was unchanged from September but up 1.7% from a year earlier.

Redbook reported that US same-store retail sales were up 5.7% year-over-year in the week ended Jan. 10, slower than in the prior week. Redbook said that use of gift cards and gift returns were the driving factors of sales for the week, while retailers were prepping for the Super Bowl, Valentine's Day and spring merchandise.

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