Wednesday’s business headlines

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Here’s a look at Wednesday’s business headlines with Jane King.

Inflation report out today

April CPI forecasts show inflation improvement slowing to a crawl however, inflation is expected to remain well above the Fed’s target. The April CPI report is expected to show a 5% increase in inflation from a year ago.

Small business optimism hits 10-year low

Small business sentiment fell in April to the lowest level in 10 years, reflecting fears over the near-term economic outlook, persistent worker shortages, and chronic inflation. The National Federation of Independent Businesses said it’s the lowest reading since 2013. Worker quality continued to pose the biggest threat to small businesses in April.

FDA to make decision on over-the-counter birth control

The FDA will meet this week to make a recommendation on whether it should approve over-the-counter sales of birth control medicine for the first time. HRA Pharma expects an FDA decision on over-the-counter sales of its contraceptive pill in the summer.

‘Tipping fatigue’ increasing

Customers are being asked to tip even at self-check-out—even if they don’t interact with a person. Customers are unsure where their money is going or whether the prompt is even necessary.
This is part of a growing phenomenon of “tipping fatigue”.

Stock update

Stocks fell as investors focused on debt ceiling talks and today’s inflation report. All three major indexes closed slightly lower.