21.   An afternoon retreat in crude oil prices helped support the bond market by diminishing fears of higher inflation.

22.   Analysts said higher U.K. inflation reflects the weakness of sterling rather than rising domestic demand.

23.   Analysts said the new wage could lead to a higher inflation rate.

24.   Analysts said the robust report raised the specter of higher inflation and of a decision by the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates.

25.   Analysts in the City disagreed, seeing the survey as the latest evidence indicating that higher inflation is on the way unless base rates increase.

26.   And higher inflation might lead the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates on borrowing, which hurts businesses and consumers.

27.   And it would ease concerns cited by Fed policymakers of higher inflation induced by companies raising prices to cover wage increases.

28.   Anyone with a strategy of betting on higher inflation expectations has done well.

29.   Any such stimulus, he asserts, would be offset by tighter credit policies by the Fed to prevent higher inflation.

30.   Anything over that level, most economists would agree, threatens production bottlenecks that will create shortages leading to higher inflation.