Economics
U.S. Core CPI Rises Less Than Estimates, Easing Inflation Alarms
- Index excluding food, energy increased 0.1% in February
- Measure restrained by used cars, clothing and medical goods
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A key measure of U.S. consumer prices rose less than expected in February as costs of used vehicles, clothing and transportation services declined from a month earlier, suggesting broader inflationary pressures remain tame.
The core consumer price index, which excludes volatile food and energy costs, increased 0.1% from a month earlier and 1.3% from the prior year. The overall CPI rose 0.4% from the prior month and 1.7% from a year earlier, a Labor Department report showed Wednesday.