The US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) accidentally disclosed the latest US Consumer Price Index (CPI) data for April 30 minutes earlier than scheduled last night (15 May), prompting the market to question the Bureau's disclosure process of one of the world's most sensitive economic data.
Even though there is no evidence to suggest that the early disclosure affected the market, the incident will raise concerns about the impact of the data dissemination on global asset prices and the US Fed's policy.
The BLS announced that it had inadvertently uploaded a subset of data files to its website approximately 30 minutes before the scheduled release time, ahead of yesterday's CPI and real earnings releases. Traditionally, the BLS releases CPI data at 8:30 am EST and the procedure is strictly restricted to avoid early exposure.
