Market observers have spent months calling for dramatic price surges that never showed up.

The narrative shifted constantly:
"Any day now" they said in June.
"Inevitable" was the August forecast.
"Can't last much longer" became today's refrain.

Meanwhile, actual data tells a different story. Purchasing power metrics show steady recovery from previous inflationary pressures. The trajectory remains consistent with expectations—no sudden shocks, no runaway escalation.

What's interesting here? The gap between prediction and reality. Markets hate uncertainty, but they hate inaccurate forecasting even more. When macro trends stabilize against bearish calls, it creates opportunities for those watching the numbers rather than the noise.

The lesson: economic indicators don't care about narratives. Track real data—wage growth relative to inflation, actual CPI trends, consumer spending patterns. That's where alpha lives in volatile conditions.