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Keep costs down as the heat rises

Wall Street fell sharply Wednesday as oil prices rebounded, aggravating concerns that inflation may lead the world's central banks to raise interest rates. The Dow Jones industrial average fell more than 160 points.Investors have been uneasy about oil prices, which surged above $136 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange after dropping a day earlier. Having breached $139 a barrel last week, record-high crude has increasingly posed both an inflationary risk and a threat to growth. Energy Department data Wednesday showed that gasoline supplies grew last week but that crude oil inventories fell more than analysts expected. The weekly report suggested no let-up in U.S. energy demand, even as consumers adjust their budgets to accommodate $4-a-gallon gasoline.Other data Wednesday that could tell investors how Americans are faring financially is the Federal Reserve's Beige Book, which provides readings on the U.S. economy by region. The stock market finished mostly lower on Tuesday on inflation-related jitters.

This is the other side of the coin here.