Transitory Inflation Can Be a Lasting Affair

Today’s inflation may be transitory, but how long “transitory” means is becoming a real head-scratcher for investors. At the risk of intellectual incoherence, they seem more worried about the next five years than the next 10.

Electricity prices are hitting all-time highs in many European countries, making inflation front-page news. Overall eurozone consumer-price growth was 3% in August, much higher than in July, according to official data released Friday. Price gains are even steeper in the U.S., though data for August suggest they may have peaked.