This is Artificial inflation. Whenever Congress passes a law or pushes for workers to earn higher wages, the company board members, rather than dip into their profits dip, preemptively hike up prices onto the consumers so that the percentage of their earnings on the stock market still meets their goals. Companies likely abuse this further by tacking on extra unnecessary cost which is why so many companies thrived during COVID.
It's also possible they and some of their largest investors are doing a bit of under the table insider trading.