HDGE looks to identify securities with low earnings quality or aggressive accounting designed to bolster short-term corporate performance and may exhibit above-average downside volatility. PCE Price Index Data in Focus Meanwhile, the Fed's preferred inflation measure increased last month at its fastest clip since June, an ominous sign that price pressures remain deep-rooted in the U.S. economy and could lead the Fed to further interest rate hikes well into this year. Consumer prices rose 0.6% sequentially in January, up sharply from a 0.2% sequential increase in December.