Stagflation: Yes, I Said It

The Business Press Maven is actively engaged in the hobby of collecting something few in the business media are: signs of stagflation in corporate earnings results.

Slow growth and rising inflation, components of stagflation, will eventually undermine an economy.

As I've been building my collection in the past week, I've looked around to see how many others have been vigilantly mentioning the possibility of an emerging state of stagflation. Come along as I peck through the forest.

The Wall Street Journal? There's basically one mention in the past month.

Except for a mention in an Age of Turbulence book review in The New York Times, not much there either.

With Financial News, Read Between the Lines Oct. 31

The Financial Times has shown scant interest in the concept in recent months. One of its most prominent mentions came more than a year ago and it was to the tune of this headline: "Renewed stagflation fears unjustified."

How curious.

The Business Press Maven frequently strikes the business media on the snout with a rolled up newspaper for too easily declaring a trend. Typically, all it takes is a few anecdotes, several possibly coincidental occurrences and they go off, declaring a false trend.