Australian supermarkets may not benefit from inflation quite as reliably as they have in the past, Jefferies analysts warn. They attribute the recent rise in packaged-goods prices revealed by the investment bank's proprietary supermarket survey to the Iran conflict, and think that elevated fertilizer and diesel prices will keep food prices growing in the medium term. They tell clients in a note that supermarkets have historically benefited from inflation, but current political and media scrutiny may hinder their ability to expand margins. The survey suggests that supermarkets are discounting a smaller range of items compared with a year earlier, but marking prices down by more. (stuart.condie@wsj.com)