April's hotter-than-expected producer inflation has turned this week into a test of whether markets can keep looking past rising prices after yesterday's sharp CPI surprise. With rate-cut hopes fading, oil still tied to the Iran conflict, and Trump heading to Beijing for trade talks with Xi Jinping, investors are facing a less forgiving economic backdrop. Stocks may steady today, helped by a chip rebound and lower oil, but the bigger message is that inflation is back.
