INFLATION & BORROWER PLANNING · SEPTEMBER 11, 2026
August Consumer Prices Rise 0.4% as Energy Costs Rebound
BLS reported consumer prices increasing 0.4% in August and 3.4% over twelve months, with gasoline accounting for more than one-third of the monthly increase and core prices rising 0.3%.
What the September 11 release reports
Source publication date: September 11, 2026. The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers increased 0.4% on a seasonally adjusted basis in August after rising 0.1% in July. The all-items index was 3.4% higher than one year earlier. Prices excluding food and energy rose 0.3% during the month and 2.4% over twelve months.
- 01Annual CPI was 3.4%
- 02Core prices rose 0.3%
- 03Energy increased 2.1%
Energy was the principal monthly driver
Gasoline prices rose 3.9% in August and accounted for more than one-third of the monthly all-items increase. The broader energy index increased 2.1% for the month and 16.3% over twelve months. Shelter rose 0.3%, food increased 0.1%, and transportation services increased 0.5%. National index movements do not describe the exact cost mix faced by an individual company or property.
How consumer inflation can affect underwriting
Inflation can influence customer purchasing power, supplier pricing, payroll, occupancy costs, interest-rate expectations, and the amount of working capital needed to support a given level of activity. A lender may compare projected expense growth with recent invoices, payroll, leases, insurance renewals, utility bills, and historical margins. Revenue growth created mainly by higher prices may not improve repayment capacity if volume or gross margin weakens.
Practical borrower takeaway
Refresh the operating forecast from company-specific evidence and separate volume, price, and cost assumptions. Show how quickly contractual pricing or customer surcharges can respond to higher inputs and model a case with slower sales or delayed repricing. Preserve liquidity and coverage headroom rather than assuming the national inflation rate will translate evenly to the business. Approval and final loan terms remain lender-specific.
Borrowers should update company budgets with actual fuel, occupancy, wage, insurance, and supplier costs, then test pricing power and debt-service coverage instead of applying the national inflation rate directly to projections.
Discuss a financing need →This independent summary is based on the cited source and is provided for general educational purposes only. Terms and program requirements may change.