Deflation is the word used to describe falling prices. These are not necessarily a bad thing. They can, for example, be caused by rising productivity or reduced costs in an industry. But a period of sustained nationwide deflation can be very destabilising.
If consumers feel that prices are likely to fall over time, they tend to delay purchases (they hold cash with the expectation of being able to purchase the same goods at a lower price later). This pushes down corporate profits which, in turn leads to cost cutting and unemployment, which then reduces consumption further.
Subscribe to MoneyWeek
Subscribe to MoneyWeek today and get your first six magazine issues absolutely FREE
Sign up to Money Morning
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
-
Sizzling sales at Sysco – should you invest?The American food distribution group Sysco is expanding rapidly worldwide and is still reasonably valued
-
Profiting from private markets has become more affordableOpinion Alex Davies, founder and CEO of high-net-worth investment service Wealth Club, tells us where he’d put his money
