With interest rates, for example, some short-term rates have been trending downward, such as with the Federal Reserve starting to cut the federal funds rate. Meanwhile long-term ones such as 10-year Treasuries or 30-year mortgages have remained relatively high or even increased in recent months.

The dollar rose to its highest in more than two weeks against a basket of currencies. This came after stronger-than-expected U.S. producer price data on Thursday dampened prospects of U.S. interest-rate cuts,

Federal Reserve officials will lower interest rates this month for a third straight time and pare back the number of rate cuts they anticipate next year, according to economists surveyed by Bloomberg News.

The U.S. economy is in a pretty good place, and Fed officials don’t want to see restrictive monetary policy stall out growth.

Consumer inflation accelerated in November to 2.7% from 2.6% and core CPI was sticky at 3.3%. But a December Fed rate cut still looks like a sure thing.

Investors view it as a near given that the U.S. Federal Reserve will cut interest rates by a quarter of a percentage point at its Dec. 17-18 meeting, with more attention focused on policymakers' new economic projections released alongside the decision.

Inflation is moving in the wrong direction. U.S. inflation picked up for a second straight month in November on a rise in food and gasoline prices, underscoring that the final stretch of the Federal Reserve's two-year battle against sharply rising prices has become more challenging.

Mortgage rates could still fall if economic data weakens and the Fed continues cutting interest rates. But that's a big "if." Lately, progress has stalled on getting inflation dow