U.S. Inflation Rises 0.4% in October as Ether Falls to $2,050.87
Key Facts
The U.S. Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers rose 0.4% month over month in October 2026, following a 0.6% increase in September, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. In a report published on November 10, Investing.com said ether fell 4% to $2,050.87 after the data were released. The cryptocurrency’s move put the U.S. price trajectory at the forefront of news followed by markets during the session, but the inflation data do not establish that the reading came in above economists’ expectations. Available sources also do not establish that ether fell 15% in a week or tested the $2,000 level on the date of the report. The figures that can be attributed, therefore, are the October monthly reading and the ether price cited in the Investing.com report.
The headline index rose less in October than in September, while the index excluding food and energy remained at 0.3% for the third consecutive month. The Bureau of Labor Statistics said core inflation rose 0.3% in October, the same rate as in September and August. These figures provide a month-to-month comparison between the slower increase in the headline index and the steady pace of the core index over the three months. The available facts do not include an earlier market estimate that could be used to judge whether October’s figure exceeded expectations. The data also do not publish the usual year-over-year change for most Consumer Price Index series this month.
Monthly increases were spread across major index components: the food index rose 0.5% and energy 0.7% in October. The shelter index also increased 0.3% and accounted for more than 30% of the monthly rise in the headline index, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data. That puts shelter among the leading contributors to the overall increase during the month, although its rate of increase was below those for food and energy. The figures show that inflation was not limited to a single category, with rates of change differing across these components. The bureau’s statement did not link these figures to ether’s movement or identify them as a cause of its decline.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics said it did not collect survey data for October 2025 because of a lapse in appropriations, and therefore could not publish the October 2026 year-over-year change for most Consumer Price Index series that lack a corresponding month from the previous year. This absence limits the year-over-year comparison for these series in the report, while month-to-month comparisons remain available for the figures released by the bureau. The bureau said October 2025 data were not collected during the lapse in appropriations, which prevented publication of the relevant annual measures. As a result, the report does not provide a complete year-over-year reading for most of these series, and one cannot be inferred from monthly percentage changes alone. The 0.4% figure remains the bureau’s reported monthly change in the headline index for October.
In cryptocurrency markets, a Reuters report published via MarketScreener said ether fell about 5% to $2,223 in trading on Sunday, November 8, its lowest level since August. The report linked turbulence in cryptocurrency markets in earlier sessions to concerns about tighter industry regulation after the U.S. midterm elections and to a $6 billion theft from Binance. This is dated background on the market’s decline before the inflation report and does not, by itself, establish the reasons for ether’s move on November 10. In its report published that day, Investing.com cited a different decline for ether, of 4% to $2,050.87. The two figures describe moves on different dates and should not be combined into a single weekly percentage without data covering the same period.
Against the backdrop of monetary policy expectations, Investing.com said Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller backed raising interest rates even if inflation data came in weaker than expected. The report added that Waller pointed to the possibility of a larger, half-point increase if the data came in high. The remarks came before the October data were released, while the report said ether fell after their publication. The available facts do not establish that Waller’s comments or rate expectations caused the cryptocurrency’s decline, and they do not provide a new Federal Reserve interest-rate decision. The Federal Open Market Committee’s meeting in December remains the next scheduled milestone for the central bank.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics is scheduled to release its November Consumer Price Index report on December 10, 2026, at 8:30 a.m. Eastern time. The Federal Reserve has also set the Federal Open Market Committee meeting for December 8 and 9. The two dates put price data and the monetary policy meeting on next month’s calendar, with the inflation report coming after the first day of the meeting. These dates mark the next milestones that will provide the next reading on prices and allow the committee to discuss monetary policy. The available facts do not include an advance forecast for the report or the meeting’s decision.