Penn State Rent Index Now in Bloomberg Terminal to Forecast Inflation

Researchers at Penn State’s Smeal College of Business have created the Penn State/ACY Alternative Inflation Index, a tool that tracks rent prices to give businesses and policymakers an early indication of inflation trends. By monitoring housing costs—often a lagging component of traditional CPI measures—the index can signal shifts in price pressures several months before government inflation reports are released.

The new index has just been incorporated into the Bloomberg Terminal, the real‑time market data platform used by financial professionals worldwide. With the addition, analysts and investors can now access the rent‑based inflation gauge alongside other market analytics, potentially improving forecasting accuracy and informing strategic decisions.

The Bloomberg integration highlights the index’s growing relevance as a forward‑looking economic indicator, offering a timely resource for those monitoring the trajectory of inflation in a rapidly changing market environment.