Signs of Slowdown?

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke sounded a note of caution during a recent speech to the National Italian-American Foundation in New York. The Fed chief said inflation remains “uncomfortably high,” adding that the nation’s top bank will “continue to monitor the inflation situation closely.” Bernanke’s comment came on the heels of other cautionary news. The Consumer Confidence Index fell to 102.9 in November from a revised 105.1 in October, despite expectations that it would rise to 106, according to the New York–based Conference Board. And orders for manufactured durable goods dropped by 8.3 percent in October, according to a recent government report.